The Aftermath:  Rose's Life After the Titanic
by AmazingWingedGirl
Summary: Jack lives on inside Rose...literally. This is her story, full of drama, surprises, and life lessons.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 – A Night So Cold

_Water that cold, like right down there…it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body._

The words that Jack had said to her just days before ran through Rose's mind a thousand times that night.

_You can't breathe. You can't think. _

It felt like a lifetime ago that she was leaning off the back rail of the great Titanic, about to end herself. Tears sprung to her eyes as the reality of what had transpired settled into her mind. So many lives had been lost. So many innocent people were now gone.

_At least not about anything but the pain._

Jack had been right. Rose's whole body was so cold and stiff she could barely feel it at all. The stars shone bright above her head, clean and crisp. A shooting star dashed across the canvas of the night sky, and she thought back to when Jack had walked her back to the first class staterooms after the party. The shooting star they had witnessed then had been so beautiful. She wanted to tell him, remind him, but she couldn't seem to find the strength to talk, let alone move.

_You can't think. At least not about anything but the pain._

Jack's hand stirred feebly in her own, and she drew in a sharp breath as the movement caused pins and needles to shoot through her fingers. She welcomed the pain; at least now she knew she was still alive. But death may be better.

"It's getting quiet," Rose said, hoarsely, to Jack. Ever since the magnificent ship had taken her final plunge, the screams of passengers in the water had been dwindling. The chaos of hundreds flailing about had quieted to faint chirping much like crickets, and had now almost stopped completely. Even Officer Wilde, who had been profusely blowing his whistle moments ago, had succumbed to the frigid water. He was already beginning to turn blue, and ice rimmed his lifeless face.

"It's just g-gonna take a c-couple of minutes to get the…b-boats organized." Jack replied. "I don't k-know about you, but I intend to write a strongly worded letter t- to the White St-star Line about all this." He said, voice shaking. Even through his shivers, Rose could make out his familiar joking tone of voice as he tried to lift her spirits. But it was barely there.

"I love you, Jack."

"Don't you do that." He said urgently. "Don't you say your good-byes. Not yet, do you understand me?"

"I'm so cold." Rose said. She could almost feel the life slipping away from her. Everything felt distant until Jack's firm voice brought her back into reality.

"Listen, Rose. You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on, and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, not here. Not this night. Not like this, do you understand me?"

"I can't feel my body." She said, her voice cracking. She felt tears well up in her eyes and begin to freeze around the rims.

"Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me... it brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful." Jack said. He gripped her hand tighter, as if his touch would imprint his next words into her mind. "You must do me this honor. You must promise me that you'll survive, that you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise."

"I promise."

"Never let go." Jack said, kissing her hand. His breath became ragged and quick as he slowly treaded water.

"I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go."

…

"Come Josephine…in my flying…machine…" Rose had long since lost track of how long she and Jack had been in the water. Every second was bringing her closer to death, and she knew she could not hold out much longer. "And it's up, she goes…up she goes…" With every exhalation, Rose's breath hung in the air. There were no sounds now. All those who had gone into the sea were either dead or dying. Rose was one of them. Nothing registered in her mind, nothing except the lyrics. "Up, she goes…" A small flicker in the very corner of her eye made Rose blink. It took every bit of her remaining strength to turn and face the small light. The beam blinded her eyes, but she fought the temptation to shut them. Through the freezing air came a voice that Rose could barely hear. It sounded as if someone was trying to speak underwater. Slowly, the world came into focus until she could make out a man with a flashlight, slowly paddling through the field of bodies, looking for survivors.

"Is there anyone alive out there?" He called. "Can anyone hear me?"

Rose painfully twisted around on the piece of wood to face Jack. "Jack," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Jack. There's a boat, Jack." He gave no answer. "Jack," she said, shaking his arm. "Jack! There's a boat! Jack! Jack." No. No. This couldn't be happening. Not Jack, whom she'd met just days ago…not Jack whom she had fallen in love with. Not Jack, whom she had made love to only hours before. Jack could not be dead. "Jack…there's a boat." She said, as tears began to pour down her face.

"Is there anyone alive out there?" The cry came again. "Can anybody hear me?"

"Rose looked up. Yes. There is someone alive. "Come back," she croaked. "Come back!"

The tiny lifeboat began to turn away. "Come back!" She faced Jack again, and tearfully pried his frozen hand off of her own. "I will never let go, Jack. I promise."

And with that, Rose watched as her one true love slowly sank into the great abyss, never to return to her again.

…

Shaking and shivering uncontrollably, Rose slid off of the raft and clumsily dog-paddled over to the corpse of Officer Wilde. Trembling with cold, she grabbed his whistle from his mouth, her only hope of survival, and blew into it as hard and as loud as she possibly could. After what seemed like an hour, Fifth Officer Lowe's lifeboat appeared. The men pulled Rose up into the boat and gave her a blanket immediately. She was so cold, and she felt like death. Only five others were rescued from the ocean's cold clutches, nobody Rose knew or cared about. The only person she wanted right now was gone forever.

Rose stood in the rain as the ship that had rescued the 705 Titanic survivors, the Carpathia, streamed by the famous Statue of Liberty in New York. The former Titanic passengers felt no joy, however; most were mourning the loss of a friend, family member, and in many cases, husband. Even the children were subdued, solemnly tossing jacks on the deck or halfheartedly dealing cards.

A steward carrying an umbrella, presumably from the Carpathia, pointedly walked to Rose's side. "Can I take you name, love?" he asked cordially. Rose looked at him, expressionless. She paused for a moment before telling him, "Dawson. Rose Dawson."

"Thank you."

It was all she could do. She put her hand in her pocket, realizing with a jolt that she was still wearing the coat Cal had thrown on her, it seemed, so long ago. Something cold and hard met her fingertips. Puzzled, she grasped the object. Out of her pocket came _le Cœur de la Mer_, the Heart of the Ocean, the diamond necklace Cal had presented her with. Heart pounding, she stared at it. Raindrops slid down her only memory of the grand ship that now lay at the bottom of the Atlantic, and she placed it back in her coat pocket, overcome with emotion.

Nothing would ever be the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**No copyright infringement intended! I do not own the characters of Rose Dawson and her mother (Ruth Dewitt-Bukater), nor do I own the character of Caledon Hockley. They are the property of James Cameron. The newspaper reporter is my own character. Gemma and Samuel Calvert are my characters except for their surname, which is the property of James Cameron as well.**

CHAPTER 2: STARTING OVER

The next few hours were a blur. The Carpathia was greeted in New York by droves of people all looking for one thing: answers. Families milled about the dock, scanning the crowd for a family member who had been aboard the Titanic, and reporters set out to coax stories out of survivors.

Rose was lost, lost in her own mind. The stabbing pain of losing Jack burned in her heart like a white-hot poker. Swarms of people pressed in on every side of her, and everywhere she turned there was some reporter with a greedy look in their eye, trying to get an interview. She was devastated, alone, and disgusted. Who were these reporters to think that they could shove themselves under people's noses when a disaster had just occurred?

"Excuse me miss!" said a voice behind Rose. She turned out of habit, but regretted it in an instant. A young reporter stood before her, pencil and notepad in hand, poised to write. "Would you be willing to tell us your story, for the New York Times?" he asked tentatively. He had the typical outfit of a journalist; however, this young man seemed different from the rest. Most reporters wove through the crowds with an almost eager look, searching for dirty laundry. This one, however, held Rose's gaze with a look of concern. "Can I hear your account of the disaster, miss?" He asked. "The world is dying to know what happened."

"I…" she began. "I just…I can't." It was too painful to talk about. She turned away, feeling the tears come, and started walking.

"Hey!" called the reporter. "Come back! I only want answers!" Rose quickened her pace. Everyone wants answers, she thought. Too bad all I have are questions.

Rose pushed her way through the crowds of people, looking for a way out. Eyes blurred from holding back tears, she struggled past groups of survivors and the Carpathia's passengers. She was running now, running as fast as she could through the thickening crowd.

She had to get out, had to get free. Her mother was somewhere in this crowd, no doubt searching for her. Where her mother was, Cal was.

After escaping the crowd, Rose found herself on a nearly empty street; everyone was still at the dock. She wiped her eyes and headed toward the nearest building, and Irish pub called Biddy Milligan's. The tiny bell on the door jingled as Rose opened the door. It was a plain tavern, with a bar along one wall, long tables in the middle and a small platform at the far end for a band to play. Rose felt a pang of sadness as she was reminded of the third class party Jack had taken her to on the ship. It had been the most fun she'd ever had, and she had met so many wonderful people. Had those people survived? What about Tommy, Fabrizio, and little Cora Cartmell? We're they alive?

A middle-aged woman with a very warm smile stood at the bar, wiping the counter and talking to a boy about Rose's age. She looked up as Rose walked in, and her eyes widened.

"Good lord, child!" She looked Rose up and down.

"Excuse me?" Rose said meekly.

"You look a fright! Are you well?"

Rose looked down as she realized how she must look. She stood there in Cal's enormous overcoat, still damp from the earlier rain, face tear-streaked and hair a mess, no doubt. The boy on the bar stool turned and whistled.

"God in Heaven," he said. "What happened?"

Rose was at a loss for words. She knew exactly what happened; knew exactly why she was a mess. "I was…I was on the Titanic." She whispered, voice unable to go any louder.

"Good gracious!" gasped the woman. "We heard it had sunk, but couldn't believe it! We figured we'd find out soon enough from my husband and my other son, they're down at the dock, you see. Oh, come in, come in! You must be frozen. I'll start up some coffee."

Within minutes Rose was draped in a woolen blanket and given a steaming mug of coffee. She felt only a little better; she was still a bit disoriented and felt very weak and dizzy from running. "I'm Mrs. Gemma Calvert, by the way. They all call me Gem."

"Thank you for the coffee." Rose said. "And the blanket."

"Not a problem, child." Said Gem.

"Where do you live?" asked the boy. "I'm Sam, by the way."

Rose remembered what Jack had said when he attended dinner in first class on the Titanic. His words had awed her. She took a deep breath. "Up until recently, I lived on the Titanic," she said. "Now I'm going wherever life takes me. You have to…" she took a shaky breath and blinked back the tears threatening to spill out her eyes before continuing. "Make every moment count."

"Amen," said Gem. "Well, Miss…"

"Dawson. Rose. You can call me Rose."

Gem smiled. "Well, Miss Rose Dawson, you can stay here as long as you like."


	3. Chapter 3

**No copyright infringement intended! Rose Dawson and the surname Calvert belong to James Cameron. Daniel Buckley, Olaus Abelseth, Latifa Baclini, her three daughters, and Mr. Ismay were real people. I created the characters of Gem, Sam, and Aiden Calvert, though their surname is the property of James Cameron. **

CHAPTER 3: New Life

Over the next few days, Rose was kept busy around the clock at Biddy Milligan's. Had it been a normal working day, she would have been brewing coffee and serving food to customers while Sam bartended. However, the aftermath of the Titanic disaster was still present like a stain on a white blouse, and every day brought a new wave of people into the pub.

Gem was nearly overwhelmed with the number of people asking if there was a spare room upstairs (the pub was also a small hotel in which people could stay a few days). Most were third class passengers, among them Olaus Abelseth and Mrs. Latifa Baclini and her three young daughters.

Few second and first class survivors came to the pub; most were able to find a place to stay in bigger hotels or the homes of family members. Mr. J. Bruce Ismay, whom Rose had dined with on the Titanic, stopped in for a drink the day after the Carpathia had arrived, but did not stay long. Sam treated Mr. Ismay with disgust rather than politeness, shoving his drink at him with a glare.

"Sam," Rose asked when he did this, "Mr. Ismay is a highly respectable man! Why on earth would you treat him so rudely?"

He simply replied, "He designed the ship, and it sank. He should have gone down with her."

Rose found a friend in Daniel Buckley, another third class survivor who had been one of the first to notice the collision. He had been asleep when it happened, and his room was already flooding by the time he got out of bed. He had narrowly escaped being thrown out of a lifeboat before an anonymous woman covered his head in a shawl to hide his face.

"It was Mrs. Astor, I believe," he told Rose as she got him some coffee. "They were about to throw me out with some others, but she covered me. I owe her my life."

"Oh, my," exclaimed Rose. "That must have been nerve-wracking."

"Aye, it was," he replied. "But some of the other stories I've heard have been much worse. I've heard countless ones of people who saw their friends and family die right in front of them, and—"

He noticed that Rose's eyes were welling with tears and promptly stopped talking. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said something like that, I just assumed that you didn't—"

"It's okay." Said Rose abruptly, trying to hide her emotions. "More coffee?"

"No, I must be off to meet my uncle at the station. It was a pleasure meeting you, miss. I hope all turns out well."

"Won't you write, Daniel?" asked Rose.

"Oh, I'll be in touch, don't worry. Goodbye!" He left the pub after checking out, and Rose, Sam, and Gem were left to tidy up.

The tables were strewn with empty coffee mugs, plates of unfinished food and beer bottles. Sam cleared them off as Gem tidied the bar. Running the small business all day had left no time for taking care of messes, and now the whole place looked like it hadn't been cleaned for a week.

"Sam, dear," she said. "Have you heard anything from your father or brother? It's been two days now and they still haven't returned from the dock."

"I wouldn't worry, Mother. They're probably just helping the newspaper company print all the stories they're getting. They'll be back by morning." He turned to Rose and explained, "My father and brother, Aiden, are reporters for the _Times_. They went to see the Carpathia come in and get some facts about what happened. You might have seen Aiden around, he's a pretty scrawny guy. Nosy as hell, but a good kid. He's not like those other reporters who just try to get whatever they can outta people."

A picture of a small, breathless boy dashing through the crowd of people at the dock flickered in Rose's mind. "Yes, I think he tried to interview me." Rose replied. "I was rather rude to him; I didn't give him any answers."

Gem laughed. "I'm sure he's used to it."

For the first time in days, Rose laughed.

Gem headed up to bed around eleven, after the last tables had been wiped and the floor swept. Sam and Rose were left to finish the small bit of cleaning left to do. They had been on their feet all day, and Rose had been feeling rather dizzy lately. Sighing, she wiped her forehead.

"Tiring, isn't it?" he said. "Running a restaurant?"

"Yes, it's quite exhausting. I'm not used to so much work." She put a hand to her head, suddenly feeling nauseous, as if she was about to faint, and sat down on a bench.

"Rose? Are you alright?"

She took a deep breath and swallowed before answering. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just the past few days catching up to me."

Sam put a hand on Rose's shoulder. "What happened, Rose? On the Titanic?"

Though she probably should have seen it coming, his question still made her heart plummet. She hadn't said more than five words about her experience to anyone, and she didn't want to. Reliving the traumatizing experience would be too much to bear. However, Sam and Gem had taken her into their home without a second of hesitation, and she owed them. She took a deep breath and began to tell her story.

"I was travelling in first class with my mother and fiancé. Every day was an endless cycle of boredom. Titanic was the ship of dreams for everybody aboard except for me. I felt trapped, chained to the weight of my family's debt and my upcoming marriage. The night that Titanic struck the iceberg, I left my mother and fiancé. I had to be free. Mother made it to a lifeboat, of course. Being a first-class woman, how could she not? My fiancé survived as well, though where he is I don't know and don't want to know. I went into the water with the ship, and eventually picked up by a boat. Now…I'm here."

It wasn't until Rose looked up into Sam's deep brown eyes that she realized tears were running down her face. Sam tenderly put his arm around her shoulders.

"Rose, can I ask you something?" He asked.

Rose wiped her eyes and took a breath. "Yes."

"Did you lose anybody close to you?"

"Yes. I lost some very close friends."

Sam could tell that Rose did not want to talk any longer, and didn't press her further. She was in enough pain without him asking her more questions. A couple seconds of silence passed between them before Rose stood up.

"I'm going to go to bed, if you don't mind. I don't feel particularly well."

"Of course," Sam said. "You must be exhausted."

Rose sniffed and nodded, turning toward the stairs. Sam called after her. "Rose," he said.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for telling me."

Rose opened her mouth, and closed it again without saying anything. Walking up the stairs, she thought, "I didn't tell you, Sam. I didn't tell you half of it."

**Please review and tell me what you think! Keep watching for more! I have great plans for it, and hope you continue reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, no copyright infringement intended. All the people I list on the survivor list were real passengers on the Titanic. Characters such as Tommy Ryan, Bert and Cora Cartmell, and Fabrizio de Rossi are the property of James Cameron. Thomas Andrews was a real person as well. Peter Calvert is my own character except for his surname. Please R&R, I'd love to hear what you think!**

CHAPTER 4: Those Who Survived

Rose woke up the next morning to the sound of shouts, screams, and heartbroken sobs, all at once. Feeling better than she had the previous night (but still not her best), she dressed herself as quickly as possible and went downstairs to see what the commotion was about.

As she reached the landing, she was shocked to see a crowd of people standing outside the doors to Biddy Milligan's, clamoring to read a small sheet of paper that had been hung on it. Rose saw Sam at the bar and walked over. Before she even reached him, he answered her question.

"The first official list of Titanic survivors has been posted. We found it on the door this morning. Here, I have an extra, unless you _want _to be part of that mob," he said, gesturing toward the door.

Rose was hesitant to look at the list, but took the slip of paper from Sam's hand anyway and began reading names in silence.

_Abbott, Mrs. Rhoda Mary_

_Abelseth, Miss Karen Marie_

_Abelseth, Mr. Olaus Jørgensen_

_Abelson, Abrahamsson, Abrahim…_

Rose read on past the B's and C's, but stopped short when she got to the D's. There, between _Davison, Ms. Mary E. _and _De Messemaeker, Mr. Guiallame Joseph, _was Rose Dawson. There were no other Dawsons on the list, and once again Rose was painfully reminded that Jack Dawson, her one true love, had died with the ship.

Her mother's name was there of course, right along with the other D's, and Cal's was among the H's. She put the list down when she was done reading, devastated. There had been no Fabrizio de Rossi on the list. No Tommy Ryan. No Bert or Cora Cartmell, no Thomas Andrews. So many of her friends, gone. It seemed the only people she knew on the list were her mother and Cal, and the day she sought them out would be the day hell froze over.

"Rose, I'm so sorry." Sam said as he looked at her distraught expression. "I can't imagine what it must have been like on the ship, how you must feel."

"No, you most certainly cannot!" Rose snapped suddenly. She was taken aback by her own rudeness. Here Sam stood with a hand on her shoulder, trying to help, and she had yelled at him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "That was unnecessary."

He took her hand and led her to a bench. The pub was not yet open for business and the room was empty; Gem was not yet awake. Rose sat down next to him, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. She managed to hold back for a minute, but then it was as if a dam had broken. Great, heaving sobs shook her body. Losing Jack had broken her heart beyond repair, and to learn that Mr. Andrews, Bert, Cora, Fabrizio, Tommy, and countless other friends had also become victims to the sea deepened the wound even more.

Sam did not try to calm her down or quiet her, and Rose was thankful. She needed to cry, needed to let out the emotions that she'd been trying so hard to contain. He quickly pulled her close to him and let her cry until she had no more tears to shed. Handing her a napkin from the table, he gently held her until her dry sobs had slowed to ragged breathing and her shaking subsided.

"I j-just c-can't believe it actually h-happened." Rose stammered. "It was supposed t-to be unsinkable! This c-can't have happened, it just can't have!"

But it had.

Suddenly, a persistent tapping on one of the windows behind the bar drew Rose's attention away from her heartbreaking memories. Sam, following her gaze, looked over questioningly, and his eyes widened. There was a boy there, and with a start, Rose realized it was the newspaper reporter she'd met before, on the dock.

Sam made his way over to the window and opened it. The boy clambered into the pub, shortly followed by a middle-aged man. Both were dressed in trousers, a buttoned-up shirt, and a hat…the typical dress of a reporter. They must be Sam's brother and father, back from the dock at last.

The boy spoke first. "You won't believe it, the Titanic really did sink, and the survivors were all there off the Carpathia, and it was crowded and we were all trying to get a story but only a few people would talk and we couldn't even get through the front door when we got back here 'cause of all the people and—"

Sam cut him off. "Aiden, slow down! I can barely understand you, for Christ's sake. I know the ship sank, it's all over the papers."

The creak of the wooden stairs told everyone that Gem was awake, and she gasped when she came downstairs. "Oh, Peter, Aiden! You're back at last! Whatever took you so long?"

Mr. Peter Calvert said, "We spent a day trying to get some stories out of survivors, and then we were needed to help publish and print them. It truly is a tragedy, so many lives lost…" He continued speaking, but Rose turned away.

After a few minutes, she heard Aiden say defiantly, "Hey! You, you were the girl I tried to interview, you were the one who ran away!" Rose slowly turned to answer, and she was surprised at how steady her voice sounded.

"Yes, that was me."

"Why wouldn't you tell anything?" he asked, sounded offended. She turned to face him, arms folded.

"I didn't tell you anything because some people just can't relive an experience like that! Imagine for a second that you've barely escaped a sinking vessel with your life, and you see countless people dead, dying. Then a reporter, a complete _stranger_, asks you what it _felt _like to be in that moment. I'm quite sorry to disappoint," she said a tad snidely, "But you don't know what it was like and I'm afraid you'll never find out. At least not from me."

Silence followed as Aiden's look of annoyance faded to one of apology. "I'm sorry. You're right. I guess it's just my job to ask questions."

"Apology accepted." Rose replied.

Gem broke in to ease the awkward situation. "Aiden, Peter, this is Rose Dawson. She was a passenger on the Titanic, and she'll be staying with us for as long as need be. We have some other survivors staying here, but they'll leave by the end of the week, I presume."

Slowly, Rose extended her hand to Mr. Calvert and then Aiden, nodding and introducing herself. "You can call me Peter," said Mr. Calvert. "So what's all the commotion outside about?"

Rose replied softly, "The first survivors list was posted this morning; everyone is checking for names." She gazed out at the crowd. Multiple faces were happy as people learned that their loved ones were alive, but for every smile there were countless sobs.

Over the next few days, more lists arrived, but none were very accurate. The newspapers were worse; some stated that all had been saved. Others said that though survivors had come in on the Carpathia, a different ship had set out to tow the Titanic back to New York.

Rose was numb. After sobbing for so long it was as if she had no feeling or emotion anymore. It was horrible enough losing her friends, but in addition Rose had been feeling dizzy and nauseous again lately. It only happened for short spells; she'd feel as if she would faint at any second one minute, and fine the next.

After days of this, Rose had to talk to someone. She didn't want to ask the Calverts (they had enough to worry about already, what with keeping the business going), and she didn't know any local doctors who might know her symptoms. She remembered Daniel Buckley, whom she'd become fast friends with when he'd stayed at the pub. She pulled out the slip of paper he'd written his address on and began to write.

_Daniel,_

_ My dear friend, how are you? I hope all is well, and you are safe with your family. I am still staying with Mr. and Mrs. Calvert and their two sons, as I have no place else to go. A survivor list was posted yesterday, and it seems as if all of New York knew someone on the Titanic. I am saddened beyond belief, and you are the only one who will understand. Only you know what it was like on the ship, the others can only speculate. _

_ I am writing not only to tell you of the goings-on here, but also to ask you a question. In addition to my grief, I seem to have some sort of minor illness. It's never happened before in my life! One moment I feel perfectly fine and then seconds later I feel sick. Do you have any idea what is causing this? I only ask because I do not want to add any more stress to the Calverts' already hectic life. _

_ I sincerely do hope you and your family are well. Please write back, Daniel, I don't know who else to go to. I can't even talk to Sam; he'll be working around the clock until the survivors staying here at Biddy Milligan's depart. _

_Hoping to hear from you soon,_

_Rose Dawson_

Sighing, Rose sealed the envelope with her letter inside and gave it to Gem, who was going to make a stop at the local mail office later. Hopefully, she would hear from her friend and have an answer to her question within the month.

**Again, please write a review and tell me what you think so far! I'll update as soon as possible!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Please read and review! I really hope you like my story so far! By the way, Antonio is completely my own character.**

CHAPTER 5: As Time Goes By

It had now been more than two weeks since Rose arrived at Biddy Milligan's and met Peter, Gem, Sam, and Aiden. She found that she had settled in quite well after a while; her room was comfortable, she was able to work at the bar and help around the pub so she wouldn't feel useless, and the Calverts were among the nicest people she had ever met. There was still a gaping hole of emptiness in her heart from the disaster, but it was slowly healing as she grew closer to the family that had taken her in as one of their own.

Peter and Gem were like a second set of parents to Rose (a much better set than before, she thought with a grimace), and Aiden was the sibling she never had. Sam, however, was different. Rose felt that she was closer to him than to anyone else at the pub. Perhaps it was because he was the only one who she had told anything about the Titanic to. Maybe it was the fact that he was the only one who had seen her let go of all the emotions she held inside. Whatever the reason, Sam was her one and only confidant.

The first few days at the pub had been full of nothing but pain, regret, and tears for Rose. However, as time went on, she found herself smiling more and more despite her random dizzy spells and painful memories. She spent most of her time in the pub, bartending with Sam or helping Gem with the check-ins and check-outs of people coming and going. She and Sam had Wednesdays off from work, and the pub closed on Sundays, so she had plenty of free time as well.

Rose spent her free time reading quietly in her room at first, but Gem constantly urged her to go out and see the city until she finally acquiesced. With Sam as her guide, they walked around the city, seeing everything.

"That," Sam said, pointing to a large brick building with people bustling outside its doors, "is where Father and Aiden work. It's the New York Times building."

Rose laughed as a young reporter about eleven tripped over the curb while hurrying to get into the building. "It certainly is a busy place." She replied.

"If there's news, this is where is comes first."

They spent hours strolling through the city; Sam was an excellent guide; he knew everything there was to know about the city. When Rose pointed this out, he said, "Well, I just know the places. If you want to know who's who, talk to Aiden."

After another hour, Sam suggested they stop to eat. "I know a great place. It's right over here, I'll show you." Rose followed as he led her to small but very nice Italian bistro. They walked in the door and a huge man in a cook's apron shouted to them from behind the counter in a heavy Italian accent.

"Sam, it's good to see you again! Who's this fine young lady you've got here?" he winked at Rose and chuckled at his own joke.

Rose was startled into a smile and Sam laughed. "Antonio, this is Rose Dawson. She's a good friend of mine, and she's staying at our place. Rose, meet Antonio. He owns this restaurant."

"Pleased to meet you," Rose replied. "This restaurant is beautiful!"

"Ah, grazie!" he replied as they walked over to the counter. "And what will you two have today?"

"Rose, I want you to try Antonio's special bruschetta recipe. I don't think you've ever had anything like it." Sam said.

"Well, you know the food here better than I do. I'll try it." She said. "How about I get a table outside, by the street?"

"Sounds great," Sam replied, smiling. Rose left the bistro and the bell on the door sounded merrily as the door closed behind her. Antonio shouted their order at one of his employees and turned to Sam.

"Ah, _bella_,_ bella_! You have a fine young lady friend there, _ragazzo_." He laughed a booming laugh as Sam watched Rose sit down at a wire table outside, smiling. "You better hold onto her_._"

Sam snapped out of his trance. "She's not my girlfriend, Antonio. She's just a friend."

"Ah, but you wish she was more than that, eh?"

Sam looked over at her. Her flaming red curls were tied into a loose bun, looking like they were on fire in the afternoon light. "She's beautiful, I know. She's just been through so much lately…I don't want to scare her, you know?"

"A wise choice, _amico_. You scare her once, and she'll never take the chance again. But keep her in mind, eh?" He winked at Sam and grinned. A minute later, Sam walked outside to meet Rose with their food. She greeted him with a smile as he presented her dish.

"Here you are, _signora_." He handed her the plate with an exaggerated bow and she laughed. Looking down at her plate, Rose's mouth dropped. It was covered by small slices of bread piled with tomatoes, herbs, and countless other vegetables.

"How am I supposed to…eat this?" she asked, honestly having no clue.

"Just pick it up with your hands, it's easy." Sam said, already starting on his own plate.

They spent an hour talking and eating until the sun began to go down. "I guess we'd better start heading back," Sam said. "It's getting late."

"Why, what's the rush?" Rose asked. "Can't we stop down by that little pier we passed on the way, then go back?"

Normally, Sam would have told her no, and said they had to be back before Gem started to worry, but since this was the first time Rose had suggested something all day, he smiled and led the way. They made it to the small dock just as the sun was starting to set, casting an orange glow over the water and city.

"This is beautiful," Rose whispered, thinking back to when she had changed her mind and gone to find Jack on the bow of the great Titanic. However, her heart did not sag at the memory, it swelled. She stood on the edge of the pier, looking out over the sparkling water and closed her eyes. Softly she whispered, "Come Josephine, in my flying machine…going up she goes, up she goes."

When she opened her eyes, Sam was standing beside her, his hair blowing softly in the gentle breeze. He softly sang back, "Balance yourself, like a bird on a beam…in the air, she goes…"

"There she goes." They finished together.

Sam took Rose's hand and cautiously drew her close until they were almost touching. Carefully as possible, he tilted her chin upwards and leaned in.

Rose's heart was pounding and a million thoughts raced trough her mind, telling her to pull away, to stop. "No, don't do this, Rose," her mind seemed to say. "You aren't ready yet."

But while her mind was telling her no, every other part of her body was saying yes. Sam's lips softly pressed against her own, feeling firm but gentle, warm and tender. Every thought that had been plaguing Rose's mind the previous second was wiped away in an instant. After a couple seconds Sam pulled away.

They walked home together in silence. It wasn't the kind of awkward silence that happens when someone makes a joke and no one laughs; it was a comforting silence in which Rose felt safe. Rose took Sam's hand about halfway back to the pub and a thousand words were said between them through that one small movement.

As Rose lay in her bed that night, she thought about Sam kissing her. It hadn't been the same nor nearly as wonderful as kissing Jack had been, but it had felt good. It had felt right.

**Please R&R! I love hearing what you guys think!**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: The Article

To make up for getting home late the previous night, Rose woke up an hour before the rest. She was surprised to find Gem awake and already bustling around the pub.

"Oh, hello, Rose!" she said when Rose came down the stairs. "I didn't know you'd be up so early!"

"I felt bad about staying out later than we were supposed to, so I figured I'd get up before you and start the day."

"That's very nice of you, dear! Here, you can help put out these glasses and put new napkins on the table." Gem replied.

It was only 6:30 in the morning, yet the daily paper had already been delivered. Rose picked it up and scanned the headlines. They were all about the Titanic, including obituaries for Mr. John Jacob Astor and a whole page remembering Captain Smith. However, a small filler article in the bottom left caught Rose's attention. It read:

**DEWITT-BUKATER FAMILY SADDENED BY DAUGHTER'S DEATH**

_Rose DeWitt-Bukater, daughter of Ruth DeWitt-Bukater, was sadly among the people who died on the Titanic. Her mother, Ruth, told reporter James Handler, "She was only seventeen. She was safely in a lifeboat, seated next to me when a young woman with an infant asked if there was room. Rose immediately left the boat so the woman could live, though I begged her not to. Now my only daughter is gone." Miss DeWitt-Bukater, who was to be married to Mr. Caledon Hockley upon her return to America, will be sorely missed._

Rose scoffed at the article and tossed the paper on the table. "So that's what she's telling everyone."

"What is it?" asked Gem.

"Nothing really," Rose replied, a bit shaken by the article. "Just my mother telling the papers how I "died" on the Titanic." Gem's face was questioning, and Rose kept it simple. "I left her the night it went down. I have no intention of seeing her again, and she clearly does not know I'm alive, so please, can we keep this private?"

"Of course, Rose." That was the best thing about Gem. She was caring, but if you had something you wanted secret, she'd never say a word to anyone.

The sun began to rise, casting a weak morning shine over the city. It had rained during the night, and the streets and building glistened as dawn brought life to New York once again.

Eventually, Peter, Sam, and Aiden came downstairs before the few people still staying at Biddy Milligan's awoke for breakfast. Rose had been worried to see Sam again. Would things be different between them? However, Sam greeted Rose with his usual smile, and she knew that everything was okay between them.

Aiden was, of course, his usual talkative self, poring over the newspaper to see what other stories had surfaced. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" everyone said in unison.

"The official numbers came out. Only 705 survivors." Everyone was quiet as the news sunk in; the survivor lists had been out for days, but no official numbers had been reported until now. "Rose," he said slowly, pointing to the small picture of her in the bottom left. "Is this you?"

Rose hesitated. "That is technically me, yes. But I never truly was Rose DeWitt-Bukater and never will be."

She left it at that and the subject was thankfully dropped.

Over the next few weeks, news about the Titanic slowed from multiple articles a day to small fillers when new information came up concerning the event. Rose was feeling more and more at home every day. She and Sam were closer than ever, but they never really had time to just talk. It had been almost a month since they had kissed.

They found themselves alone one Sunday, when the rest of the family had gone to church services, leaving Sam and Rose to make sure the pub would be safe. The lock had broken on the door, and there had recently been a few robberies nearby.

They sat at the bar, enjoying the rare quiet in the little pub. Finally, Sam spoke. "Rose, what exactly is happening between us? You seemed so distant last month, but when we were at the pier…that was real."

"I know, and I'm just as confused as you are. I don't know what to think, or what to feel."

"You were with someone, weren't you? Before we met?" he asked.

Rose looked away. She couldn't tell him about Jack, she just couldn't. "I told you, I was traveling with a fiancé I did not love. He was cruel and ruthless, and I suppose I'm just afraid of another relationship that doesn't work out." She hated it. She hated lying to him. Yes, Cal was a horrible man, but that wasn't why she was nervous about Sam. His kiss had been real, but she didn't know if she was ready.

Jack had been her one true love, and she couldn't just…replace him. It had been magical, their time together. He had saved her in every way a person can be saved, and they had given everything to each other. Him holding her on the bow of the ship, the passionate kisses they shared, the drawing of her that he so carefully crafted, and making love only hours before she lost him.

He gave his life so that she could survive. She couldn't just let him disappear. But she was undeniably attracted to Sam.

"Rose, let's talk later, alright? I can tell you don't want to right now." He got up and went upstairs, leaving Rose alone, lost in thought.

…

One day, Peter came back from the mail office with a single letter addressed to Rose. "It's from a…Daniel Buckley? Rose, do you know him?"

"Oh yes, I've been expecting his letter!" She opened the envelope and sat down to read.

_My dear friend Rose,_

_ I am happy to hear that you have found a home with the Calverts; from what I've seen of them through my stay they seem like very nice people. I am doing quite well, as is my family. Thank you for asking. I understand exactly what you mean, about the Titanic. The only people who will ever truly know its legacy were those who survived, you and I included._

_ As for your symptoms, I do not know what to tell you. I'm no doctor, but it sounds as if these waves of nausea are very minor. Maybe you've simply been working too much? Anyways, I hope you feel better, Rose. If you are concerned, please visit a doctor straight away. I'd hate to get a letter saying you've taken ill, as I've already read of your "death" in the paper once already. Please continue to write, I sincerely enjoy hearing from you._

_Wishing you the best,_

_Daniel_

Rose sighed and put the letter in her pocket. Hearing from Daniel had been wonderful, however, she wasn't any closer to finding out what was wrong with her. She would have to ask Gem where the nearest doctor was later.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, here's Chapter 9! Please let me know what you think of it. Dr. Phillips is my own character.**

CHAPTER 7: The Discovery

Peter, Gem and Aiden returned around eleven after the church service and running a few errands, and Peter started making lunch.

"He's making his famous beef stew today, it's a real treat." Said Gem with a smile, and Peter laughed proudly as he got out ingredients. An hour later, after the meal had been simmering for a while, they sat down to eat. There was no one else in the room, and for once the five of them were going to sit down together for a meal.

The aroma of cooked meat and spices wafted across the pub to where Rose was sitting. From where she was, it smelled fantastic. However, as Aiden arrived carrying a bowl for Rose, she began to feel nauseous. It wasn't the usual brief dizziness; Rose actually felt like she was going to throw up. She quickly got up from the table and ran to the bathroom on the far end of the pub.

"Rose, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Gem called after her. She did not answer; she feared if she opened her mouth she would vomit on the floor. Instead, she dashed to the bathroom as fast as she could and had barely made it before she threw up. Shaking, she clung to the edges of the sink. Her whole body was trembling and she felt very feverish. She heard hurried footsteps behind her and Gem appeared at the door. "Dear Lord!" she exclaimed.

Rose was breathing heavily and shaking uncontrollably. Unable to stand, her knees gave out and she clumsily fell to the floor. Gem rushed over to help her up. "We must get you to a doctor straight away."

Gem ushered Rose past Peter, Sam and Aiden as they stared in shock, trying her best to shield her from their eyes. They got in Peter's cart and Gem took the horses' reins. Rose was in the back, holding her head and trying not to throw up again as the cart bounced along the road. They eventually reached the doctor's office and Gem helped Rose down from her seat.

"Dr. Phillips is the best there is, Rose. He'll see to you right away, and then we'll find out why you've been feeling ill." Rose nodded, hardly hearing her words as they entered the building.

A young man of about thirty looked up as they entered. "Mrs. Calvert," he said in a mildly surprised tone. "What brings you here today?"

"Doctor Phillips, this is Rose, she's a family friend. I'm afraid she's sick." She shot the doctor a knowing glance as he took in Rose's paler-than-usual face and sweaty hands.

"Yes, I can tell you're ill. Come in here, Rose, and we'll see what the trouble is." He led them into a small room behind a curtain and had Rose sit down. Handing her a glass of water, he said, "Have you experienced any symptoms like this before now?"

"Yes," Rose replied. "I've been feeling dizzy and nauseous on and off for a couple of weeks now, but this is the first time I threw up since the symptoms started."

"And how often have they been occurring?" he inquired.

"I'll often feel fine for days, and suddenly a wave of dizziness comes over me out of the blue. It usually only lasts a few minutes."

He nodded and made a note on a slip of paper. "Do you mind if I give you a quick check-up?" he asked. "It's perfectly fine if you say no."

"No, go ahead." She replied. He listened to her heartbeat, nodding and making notes all the while. Then he felt certain areas on her back and stomach, which made her a little uncomfortable, but she let him proceed.

"Do you have any idea what caused you to vomit?" he asked after a minute.

"I think so." Rose replied. "We –the Calverts and I—were just about to eat lunch. Mr. Calvert had made beef stew, and when his son, Aiden, came over to give me a bowl of it, the smell just made me feel sick to my stomach, so I ran to the bathroom and threw up."

Gem, who had been quietly standing in the corner, looked up with wide eyes. "You said the smell was what made you sick?"

"Yes, I felt fine until Aiden brought the stew over to me. Why?"

Gem lifted a hand to her mouth. "Doctor, does this mean what I think it means?"

Dr. Phillips took off his glasses and wiped them on a small cloth. "Yes, it's likely. Rose, I believe you may be pregnant."

**Please R&R! I'd love to hear what you think, and feel free to offer ideas for future chapters!**


	8. Chapter 8

**No copyright infringement intended! The character of Spicer Lovejoy is the property of James Cameron. Café Parisien was a real café on the Titanic, and the quote in italics is directly from the movie. Please R&R! **

CHAPTER 8: Memories

Rose sat in stunned silence at Dr. Phillips's words, her hand over her mouth. Gem's jaw had also dropped. Rose didn't know how long she sat in shock; it could have been five seconds or five hours. After what seemed like forever, she found her voice. "Pregnant?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Yes," replied Dr. Phillips. "The dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to the smell of food, and the vomiting...all are clear signs of pregnancy."

Rose was in utter disbelief. It was impossible; she could not be carrying a child!

Gem spoke in a very faint, shaky voice. "Rose? How did this happen?"

Rose couldn't answer. She didn't have a clue what to say. She was still in shock, and not thinking clearly at all. She tried to form words, but it felt like she had cotton in her mouth. "I don't – I don't know, I never –" she stopped short and her breath caught in her throat. "Oh, my God!" she gasped.

"What is it, Rose? Whose baby is it?" asked Gem, coming over to put an arm around Rose. Rose was sitting in her chair, her right hand gripping the armrest and her left on her stomach. Rose couldn't speak; she felt half terrified and half elated.

Jack. She was carrying his child; Jack was living inside her. He had to be the father; Rose had not had sex with any other man in her life. She had never had any real relationship, even after it had been decided she would marry Cal. She had refused to do anything with him. When she had met Jack she knew that they were perfect for each other, and there would never be anyone else who could ever match the love they had.

Her heart leapt in her chest, and she made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob.

"Rose? Please tell us." Said Dr. Phillips in his always-calm voice. "We need to know."

Rose leaned back in her chair, realizing how rigid she had been holding her body. Thoughts burned through her mind like wildfire. She was overwhelmed. Many of her thoughts were asking, "What are you going to do, Rose? What do you tell the Calverts? What's going to happen now?" However, there were others that cheered, "You're having Jack's baby. This is his child, and you should be happy."

She felt warm tears slide down her face. Dr. Phillips and Gem looked down at her expectantly. Rose had no idea what to tell them; she had vowed never to tell anybody about Jack Dawson.

Gem, Rose noticed, was also in tears, but Rose barely noticed; she sat, staring off into space as she let the news sink in. Then, Gem spoke.

"Rose, you must tell me one thing. Is this Sam's baby?" she asked.

Rose was jolted back into reality when she heard Gem's words. "No!" she shouted, more forcefully than she intended. Gem jumped, startled. "I'm sorry, Gem. I didn't mean to sound so hostile." Rose said quietly.

Dr. Phillips, who had been quiet for the past few minutes, said, "Rose, are you positive?"

"Yes! I think I would know better than anyone whose child I'm carrying! It is not Sam's, Gem. I don't know if you wanted it to be, but it isn't."

"Alright, Rose. I'm sorry, I just had to know." She replied, putting her arm around Rose again. "Come on, dear, let's get you home."

"Aren't you going to tell us whose child you're carrying?" Dr. Phillips asked in the same tone of mild curiosity he used when asking all questions.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but once again Gem saved her the trouble. "Dr. Phillips, your help had been much appreciated, but can't you see that Rose is exhausted? She needs rest, not interrogation. Rose will tell us who the father is when – and if – she is ready to."

Dr. Phillips nodded curtly, clearly not pleased with the answer but not about to argue. "Very well. Good day to you Mrs. Calvert, Rose. If you need anything, or have any questions, do not hesitate to make a visit; you are always welcome here."

Gem helped Rose back into the cart and flicked the reins, startling the horses into a slow walk. "I assume you would not like to return to the pub just yet?" she asked.

"No. I'd prefer not to go back until I know what to tell the others."

"And what are you going to tell them?" Gem asked. Rose knew that she was actually asking whether she was going to tell Peter, Sam, and Aiden about her unexpected pregnancy. "I won't say anything if you don't want me to." Gem continued. "You go straight up to your room and get some sleep; you've had a stressful day. For now I'll just tell the boys you have a mild case of the stomach flu, and I'll be sure to tell them not to bother you."

"No." Rose had made up her mind. "They have a right to know. If I were the one who was waiting at home to know why my friend was rushed to the doctor, I know I would want them to tell me."

"Are you sure? There's no way to know how they'll react, you know."

"I know. But like I said, they have a right to know what's happened."

"Alright. Would you like me to tell them after you get upstairs?" she asked.

Rose considered this for a moment before saying, "No, I should tell them myself, but I'll keep it short."

"That's perfectly fine, Rose. I can handle it from there; you must rest as soon as possible."

"Yes, I know. Thank you, Gem. I appreciate all you are doing more than you could ever know."

They arrived back at the pub about half an hour later, and as soon as they stepped in the door, Sam (who had been sitting at the table quietly for the past hour) stood up so fast that the he caused the table's bench to fall over.

"Rose! What happened, are you okay? What happened?" he said, clearly worried.

"Yeah," added Aiden, "We were so worried, I mean, you just kind of panicked and got sick."

"Aiden, don't be rude. Please sit down, Rose." Peter said as he righted the overturned bench. Rose, however, stayed where she was.

"Boys, Rose is extremely tired at the moment, and Dr. Phillips told her to get as much rest as possible. Please don't question her too much."

"Of course we won't, Mother. We just want to know if Rose is okay." Sam walked over and put his arm around Rose's shoulder, leading her to the table. He apparently did not mind if his parents and brother saw his affection for her, because he lightly kissed her head when they sat down. "What did Doctor Phillips say, Rose?"

Rose felt her face heat up and her eyes start to water. She had to tell them. But what would Sam think? Would he be angry, would he hate her? Though they had only kissed once, there was a clear connection between them, and despite her ever-present love for Jack, she didn't want that connection to go away.

She wrung her hands in her lap, trying to find a way to break the news gently. She looked up and met Sam's deep brown eyes that were searching for an answer. A single tear rolled down her cheek and Sam took in a sharp breath, clearly fearing the worst. "Rose, you aren't…you aren't seriously sick, are you?"

"No," she replied, keeping her voice as steady as possible. "I'm not. Sam, I – I'm pregnant."

Those two small words hung in the air between them, and she heard Aiden cough awkwardly.

Sam withdrew his arm from around her shoulders and stood up. The care in his eyes had been replaced with confusion and hurt. "What?" he said in disbelief. "What?"

"I'm pregnant." She said again, meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sam. This happened before we even met, and I had no idea until today. I'm sorry."

Sam backed away from her, stunned, and it seemed like hours passed before anyone spoke again. Gem walked over to Rose and whispered in her ear so only she could hear, "Rose, let's get you on up to bed. You heard the doctor; you need to rest. I'll explain everything to them, don't worry."

Rose walked slowly up the stairs and down the hallway to her bedroom on the end. Gem closed the door behind her and Rose was left alone. Tears of sadness washed down her face as she saw Sam's stunned face in her mind; she had hurt him, and she knew it. She sat down on her creaky bed, feeling the years-old wood sagging as it always did when someone put weight on it. She closed her eyes and drew in a ragged breath. Sobbing, she curled up on the bed, longing for a sense of security. She had no one now except Gem; Sam surely would not feel the same way about her as he did before, and who knew what Peter and Aiden thought of her.

She hadn't told Gem, but when Dr. Phillips told her she was pregnant, Rose had felt a wave of pure happiness swoop inside her. She had been so happy after she realized that this was Jack's baby inside her. Jack…God, she missed him so much! Every time she thought of him, her heart broke and swelled at the same time.

She loved him more than anything in the world, and always would. As she sat on her bed, she thought back to the glorious days on the grand Titanic that they had spent together before the collision with the iceberg. She remembered the first time she ever saw him; he was staring at her as she stood looking out at the sea after excusing herself from Cal's patronizing stares and obnoxiously controlling behavior at the lunch table in Café Parisien. Jack Dawson had been nothing more than another passenger on the ship then.

Then, when she was an inch from death on the stern of the ship, and he had saved her…she would never forget how he persuaded her to climb back over. Life was worth living when she was with Jack. Even a dinner that would have otherwise been a complete bore had been worthwhile as she watched his eyes widen staring at all the utensils and making conversation as if he had been doing it all his life. He introduced her to life, and taught her how to live it. The party below decks that he took her to, and flying on the bow of the grandest ship in history were things she never would have dreamed of doing had it not been for Jack.

She managed a weak smile as she remembered him trying to teach her to spit like a man into the ocean. "_What, they didn't teach you that in finishing school?" _he had asked jokingly. Her heart had been pounding as her drew her wearing the _Heart of the Ocean_, but it had been the kind of fear that only made her enjoy the moment even more. Everything felt so perfect, so right, during those times. Even running from Spicer Lovejoy, Cal's awful bodyguard, had been a thrill, and when they reached the car in the storage room, everything had just fallen right into place.

A fresh wave of tears seeped out of Rose's eyes as she softly ran her hand over her stomach. "Oh, Jack," she whispered. She gulped as tears began to flow more profusely. "Jack, I need you. I want you here with me more than anything in the world." She let out a thick sob and dropped her head into her hands. "I miss you so much, and…and I know you said to go on, but I just don't know how! I need you, our future son or daughter needs you here, now.

"I am trying as hard as I can, Jack. I'm trying to keep living the way you told me, and I promise I'll try harder. I just…I miss you so, so much! I'll never forget you, Jack. I won't ever, ever, let go."

**So, what'd you think? I'll be sure to update soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I know it's short, but please let me know what you think! **

CHAPTER 9: Reassurance

Rose stayed in her room for the rest of the day. She did not want to talk to anyone, or even look at anyone. She locked the door and lay on her bed, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. She stared up at the ceiling, feeling tears well up in her eyes before she blinked them back. "No," she thought. "No more crying."

She eventually lost track of time, but when she looked out the window and saw that it was dark she knew that it must be very late. She raised herself off the bed and quietly walked over to the window, being careful not to step on the notoriously creaky floorboard next to her desk. She silently opened the curtains and gazed out at the street below.

It was raining slightly, and the streetlamps cast a soft orange glow over the shining New York road. Rose watched the small raindrops slide down the panes of her window and rested her head against the cool glass. It was so quiet; the only sounds were the slight pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof and the occasional clip-clop of a horse's hooves on the street as someone returned home late.

She was the only one awake in Biddy Milligan's, or so she thought. The familiar creak of the stairs diverted Rose's attention from the raindrops racing down the window. She silently turned and faced her door as she heard someone reach the top of the stairs. Gem? No, she always went to bed early on weekends, as did Peter.

A soft glow lit the cracks around her bedroom door as someone lit a lamp, and she saw a shadow stop in front of her door. Whoever was outside her door knocked softly, and Rose quickly made her way back over to her bed and got into it, pretending to be asleep. It was Sam, no doubt angry beyond belief at her. The knock came again, just as tentative as before.

"Rose? I can tell you're awake." A voice whispered. "Can I come in for a second?"

It wasn't Sam. It was Aiden.

Rose sat up in bed, honestly surprised. "Aiden?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's me." He said, quietly turning the doorknob and entering the room. He blew out his lamb once he got over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. Even though it was quite dark, Rose could see him clearly.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered. He looked at her, and she saw for the first time how young he looked. He was sixteen years old, but barely looked thirteen.

"I just wanted to let you know that…you being pregnant…well, it doesn't change anything. We're still going to help you, and you can still stay here. I just wanted you to know."

Hearing those words made it feel as if a gigantic weight was lifted from Rose's shoulders. "Thank you, Aiden. That really means a lot." She said, managing a weak smile.

"You're welcome," he replied. "I know you're sad about the baby…or happy, I can't really tell. I just wanted you to know that it's okay."

Rose looked away. "What about Sam?" She asked. "He hates me, doesn't he?"

"No!" Aiden spoke barely above a whisper, but she could hear the certainty in his voice. "He doesn't hate you! He loves you, Rose."

Rose's head snapped up. "What? But – but I'm –"

"Pregnant. I know, and he knows. He's just…confused, that's all. He's trying to figure out what's going on, how this happened. But don't for a second think he hates you. You couldn't be more wrong."

Rose leaned back against her pillow, absorbing this new information. Sam loved her? Was Aiden serious, or just saying things to make her feel better? Either way, she didn't know how she felt about hearing those words. Aiden took her hand, only trying to reassure her.

"Just trust me, Rose." He said, and she did. "Everything is going to turn out fine, believe me."

Rose nodded and put her head on her pillow. "I hope so." She said, and closed her eyes.

**Thoughts? **


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10: Confrontation

Rose did not wake up until eleven o'clock the next morning; Gem had let her sleep. Sunlight spilled through her window, resting on her desk, chair, and walls, and casting stripes of light on her bed. The aroma of coffee brewing filled Rose's nose, and she inhaled deeply, breathing in the tantalizing smell. Gem rushed by her door on her way to get something from her and Peter's room, and stopped on her way back.

"Oh, good, you're awake! How did you sleep? Are you feeling better?" She asked, not giving Rose any time to answer the questions. "Come downstairs when you're dressed, won't you?" She smiled warmly at Rose and carefully made her way down the stairs, balancing a stack of extra plates on her hip. It must be a busy morning, Rose thought.

Everything felt normal, everything felt good. Rose took a deep breath and glanced around her room. It was a beautiful day, and everything was as it should be, she thought. She smiled, and that's when she felt the odd tightness on her skin from the dried tears that still lingered on her face. Everything came crashing down on her in that moment. The pregnancy, Sam's half shocked, half saddened face, Aiden coming in to talk to her…the weight of the previous day was almost too great to bear.

But Rose had made a promise to stay strong. She had had enough of crying, enough of feeling like a burden to the Calverts. She had to keep her head up. She sat up straight, got out of bed and slid a thin, comfortable dress on over her head. As summer approached, it was beginning to get warmer; the pale yellow frock would be perfect. Rose shook out her hair and gently ran a brush given to her by Gem through her unruly red curls, calming the tangled mess that was her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and wiped last night's tears from her eyes.

She stopped at the foot of the stairs and drew in a deep breath before walking into the restaurant area. Then she strode over to her usual working spot at the bar with what she hoped was a confident air. Sam looked up at her as she walked around behind the counter; and they met eyes for a second before he looked away.

Tentatively, Rose cleared her throat and spoke. "Good morning, Sam." She said, straightening up to give him the impression that she wasn't afraid. Inside, her heart pounded as she waited for a response.

"Morning." He responded flatly. He bent to pick up a glass from the shelf under the counter, and his hair fell in front of his face, shielding his eyes from Rose.

"It's busy today," Rose tried again. "I don't think we've had this many people, at least not that I've seen."

"I guess so."

A man in a faded gray jacket came to the bar and Sam went to take his order. Rose heard him ask for a cup of black coffee and immediately began preparing it, as she always did while Sam took orders. Then Sam came up behind her. "I'll do it, Rose." He said shortly, and Rose quickly withdrew her hands, stung. She watched while Sam made the man his coffee with a mixture of hurt and annoyance. Why was he treating her like this?

After the man had paid for his drink and went to sit down, Rose approached Sam. "Sam, we have to talk."

"Later, Rose, people are about to start coming in for lunch." He said without making eye contact. But Rose had made up her mind.

"No. We are going to talk now." She led him outside, ignoring his objections. Once they were outside the restaurant, she turned to face Sam, hands on her hips.

"What the hell, Rose?" he exclaimed, backing away from her.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked. "Do you realize how rude you were to me just now? Everything you've said this morning has been curt, or short, or brusque. Why won't you just speak to me normally?"

Sam made a sound that was a cross between a sniff and a cruel laugh. "I'm being rude? You're the one who dragged me out into the street by my shirt sleeve!"

"Sam, we both know what it is that's making you act this way. My question is _why._"

"Why? You actually have to ask why?" he said, clearly angry. "You came into our home with nothing more than a soggy coat and dress on your back, and we took you in without a second thought. I showed you around the city, helped you. Rose, we—" He lowered his voice and leaned closer to her, but his eyes weren't smiling like they used to. "We kissed. And then, then you come back from the doctor saying you're pregnant? And you won't even tell us who the father is? It just doesn't work that way, Rose. I can't believe you would fool me like that."

Rose's jaw dropped at his last comment, and had trouble containing herself. "Fool you? _Fool _you? This is absurd! Sam, I had no idea about this baby! If I had, I would have told you, all of you, right away! This is just as difficult for me as it is for you, if not more so. How do you think I feel? Did you even consider that?"

Rose looked around and saw that an elderly couple on the street had been startled by their argument and stopped walking to stare at them. Rose didn't care; in fact, she barely noticed.

Sam did not pay them any mind either. "I want to believe you, Rose, I really do." He ran a hand through his brown hair, messing it up even more. "But this isn't the first thing you've been secretive about. You didn't even tell us about these 'mysterious symptoms' you've apparently been having, and I saw that newspaper article about you "dying" on the ship. Who are you, Rose?"

Rose spoke quietly, but her words sounded almost venomous. "Who am I? My name, Samuel Calvert, is Rose Dawson. I am the girl who you took pity on a month and a half ago when I needed shelter. I am the girl you took out for Italian food not even a week ago, and I am the girl who you kissed." She said emphatically. When she spoke again, her voice softened. "All that time, when we went to the dock, and when we talked, and laughed, I did not have any idea I was pregnant. It's clear now that I am, but I swear on my life that I didn't know until yesterday."

She looked at Sam pleadingly, willing him to believe her, willing him to understand.

"How did it happen, then? You tell me, Rose. Why are you pregnant?" he asked. Rose could tell that he believed what she had said so far, but he still wanted answers that she wasn't willing to give.

"I think you know how women conceive children, Sam." She said, looking away and trying to avoid the actual question.

"Fine. Don't tell me." Sam said, and Rose could hear the distaste in his voice. Rose's shoulders drooped as he turned to go inside.

"Sam, wait!" She called. He turned around and she went to him, taking his hand. She knew it was a dangerous move, but she had to restore his trust in her. She didn't want to lie to him, but she could not bring herself to tell him about Jack. "I—I made a mistake." Just hearing herself say those words disgusted her. Being with Jack had been anything but a mistake; they knew exactly what they were doing. "I was foolish, and, well, that's how it happened." She looked down at the ground, hating herself for dishonoring Jack, and hating the fact that she had to lie.

Sam cupped her chin, turned her head toward him and looked her straight in the eye. "Is that the truth?" He asked.

No, Rose thought.

"Yes." she said. As much as she hated lying to him, she somehow felt it wasn't right to tell him about Jack.

"Alright, Rose. I believe you." Before she could open her mouth to respond, he pulled her into a tight one-armed hug and held her. "We're going to get through this, Rose. It's going to be okay, you hear? Don't worry." He said, his voice taking on the caring tone she knew so well.

How long they stayed outside Rose did not know, until Gem came outside.

"Oh! There you are, you two! Come on, back to work! There's a line forming, you know." She hurried back inside, Sam and Rose following quickly.

Sam smiled and handed Rose a notepad to take orders on. She let out a sigh, glad to have the Sam she knew back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Some of the dialogue in this chapter is clearly dialogue from the movie, with one or two words changed. No copyright infringement intended! Please R&R, I love hearing what you think!**

CHAPTER 11: Going Out

Feeling much better, Rose reentered the restaurant with a smile. She and Sam took their places behind the bar and began taking the orders of the people waiting in the line that had formed during their short absence. Once the small crowd of people had all been given their food or drink, Rose leaned on the back counter and took a deep breath. It seemed as if it had been only a second before more customers entered the restaurant, and there were more orders to fill.

It was well past two o'clock before the steady stream of people coming to Biddy Milligan's slowed, and Rose had a chance to rest. She leaned on the back counter behind the bar, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

"Tired?" Sam asked, wiping his hands on a dish towel and joining her.

"A bit," Rose answered truthfully. "We've been working for over two hours; we haven't even had time to sit down!"

Sam laughed. "I'm surprised you're not used to it yet," he said. "You've been here a couple months now."

"Yes, I suppose that's true. I'm just not used to…working." She realized right after she said those words how stuck-up they must have made her sound. "I'm sorry. I mean, I'm just not accustomed to living this kind of lifestyle."

"You mean, living above a restaurant in a creaky old building, working almost every day?" He replied.

Rose looked up, afraid she'd insulted him, but he was smiling, making his eyes crinkle at the edges.

"A life of work, you can say it." He said.

They stood in silence for a couple minutes, then Sam said, "Gem told me this morning that my father is going to be home early tonight. She said that, if we wanted, we could work until five, and then she'll give us the rest of the day off. Would you want to go somewhere?"

Rose's heart leaped at his question. "Of course! Where do you want to go?"

"I'm not sure. We could just walk around the city and come back here, or we could find a restaurant. There's the Italian restaurant I took you to before, Antonio's, and so many other places we could go. I guess we could just look around until we find something interesting."

"That sounds wonderful!"

At about 4:30, Gem came over and told them they could go; she could handle the business until Peter came home.

"I'll go get ready quickly," Rose said. "I'll be down soon, and then we can go."

Sam nodded, and Rose went to her room to make herself a little more presentable. She quickly pulled her hair into a bun using a beautiful hairpin Gem had given her. It had a small, flat surface; painted on it was an ornate flower, with minute butterfly perched on one of the leaves. Rose wore it nearly every day; it reminded her of the butterfly pin that she used to have. It was gone now, having gone down with the Titanic.

Rose still had a good 20 minutes before she was supposed to be downstairs, so she strode over to her desk and pulled out a sheet of paper. It had been a long time since she last wrote to Daniel Buckley, and since she had some time, she decide to tell him of the things that had transpired. Taking out one of Peter's old fountain pens, she began to write.

_Dear Daniel,_

_ I am so sorry that I have not been in contact lately. Many things have been going on since your last letter. Everything has changed. I went to the doctor the other day to find out what was causing the nausea and dizziness I was feeling, and, as it turns out, I am pregnant. I had no idea, and I am still unsure of what is going to happen now because of this. The Calverts are all very supportive, which is quite a relief, but I fear that things will only get more difficult before they get better._

_ How are you? Is everything going well with you and your family? I hope I am not adding any stress to your life with my letters. It was wonderful to hear from you before, Daniel, and I do hope you'll write again._

_Wishing you the best,_

_Rose_

Rose folded the short letter and slipped it into an envelope for mailing. She reasoned she would drop it off at the mail office should while she and Sam were out. She got up from the chair with a sigh and put the envelope in her pocket. Looking in the mirror, she adjusted her pin and brushed off her dress one last time before heading downstairs to meet Sam.

He was sitting outside on the steps, and when she stepped out into the late afternoon sun, he jumped a little and quickly stood up. "Are you ready to go?" he asked politely.

"Yes," Rose replied. "I can't wait to see some more of the city!" They walked down the street hand-in-hand, looking at the many shops and buildings lining the road. There were shops on their right, and on the left, the harbor and Statue of Liberty was visible. The setting sun made shadows stretch along the ground, and bathed everything in a warm glow.

Sam and Rose walked for what seemed like hours, yet they never felt tired. They occasionally stopped into a small store or had conversations with other people Sam recognized on the street, but they mostly just talked. They talked about everything, it seemed. From favorite colors to Sam telling stories, they discussed everything.

They were laughing and just about to round a corner when Sam stopped walking and turned to face Rose. "Tell me a story Rose." He said.

Rose smiled and took his hand again. "Hmm…" she thought. "Once upon a time, there was a girl."

"A girl with flaming red hair?" Sam asked with a grin.

Rose laughed. "Yes. Once upon a time, there was a girl with flaming red hair, and she felt alone. Nothing was going the way she wanted it to, and all her life she had been feeling trapped. This girl was the opposite of what she should be, you see."

Sam gave her a questioning look and Rose continued. "On the outside, she was everything a well brought-up girl should be. Inside, she was screaming. She saw her whole life as if she had already lived it. She wanted to break free, and eventually found the strength to do so, but sacrificed many things along the way." Rose trailed off, lost in memories, not knowing what to say next.

"Then," Sam added, "She found a home, where she was loved and appreciated, and the girl with the fiery hair was no longer lonely." He finished, pulling Rose close and kissing her softly and quickly.

Rose met his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, leaned her head against his chest, and closed her eyes. She felt Sam hug her back, and for the first time since she stepped into this new life, Rose felt content.


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter was so hard to write! I had no idea what I was going to have happen, so I literally sat at the computer until I got an idea. I think what I ended up writing is pretty good, and I really hope you like it! Please tell me what you think, I love getting reviews!**

CHAPTER 12: Two Months Later

Time seemed to fly by, leaving Rose struggling to keep up with everything going on. Before she knew it, she was caught up in August, wondering where the last four months had gone. It seemed like only a week since the Calverts had taken her in, but ever since she found out about the baby, things were getting more and more complicated and confusing at times.

They were as gracious as ever, and though Peter and Aiden weren't home most of the time (their jobs working with the New York Times were very demanding), Rose still felt close to everyone. She and Gem became closer with each passing day; she was the only one who had any idea what Rose was going through.

"How are you feeling, Rose? Are you alright?" Gem asked one morning as they wiped down tables before opening the restaurant.

"I'm fine, thank you." Rose replied. "I definitely get tired a lot quicker than I used to, but I'm doing fine."

"You haven't been sick lately?"

"Only a few times. It's been difficult, no doubt, but I'm coping." She replied, giving what she hoped was a reassuring smile. In reality, the effects of her pregnancy had been very prominent. On more than one occasion, she found herself unable to sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night feeling sick to her stomach. There were also some times when she felt incredibly weak and shaky.

"I think we should go and see Dr. Phillips again. He'll be able to give you more information about what to expect and what you can do to ease any symptoms." Gem shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm always available as well, Rose. I've had two children; if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Yes, I think it would be a good idea to visit the doctor and make sure everything is as it should be. And don't worry, Gem, if I need any advice I will be sure to ask you."

Gem smiled warmly, making Rose smile in return. Gem was so kind, and she was more of a mother to Rose than Ruth had ever been. "I can take you today, if you'd like. Dr. Phillips is rarely busy on Saturdays." Gem said.

"That would be wonderful, Gem! We can go whenever is best for you." Rose replied.

…

At one o'clock, they departed for Dr. Phillips's office. They arrived at the small building about fifteen minutes later and entered. The only other person in the room was a middle-aged woman with dark circles under her eyes that Rose did not recognize. Dr. Phillips emerged from behind his curtain with a young boy about eight, and the woman quickly stood up.

"You have nothing to worry about, Mrs. Davis." He said, smiling reassuringly at the woman, who breathed a sigh of relief and put a hand to her heart. "It's just a bit of a cold. Have him stay at home for a day or two until the coughing subsides, to be on the safe side."

"Thank you, Doctor. I feel so silly, fussing over such a tiny little thing. Do I owe you anything for your troubles?" she asked, fumbling in her coat pocket for some spare change.

Dr. Phillips held up a hand. "There is no need, Mrs. Davis."

"Thank you, thank you so much." She said before ushering her young son out the door. Then, Dr. Phillips turned to face Gem and Rose.

"Mrs. Calvert, Miss Dawson. What brings you here today?" he asked, clearly in a different mood than he had been in during their last visit.

"We were wondering if you would be able to give Rose a quick check-up." Said Gem promptly.

"Yes," Rose added. "It's been two months since our last visit, and I would like to know if everything is going smoothly with my baby."

"Ah, yes, I remember. Let's have a look then. If you could please come with me, we'll see if anything has gone amiss." He said, pulling back the curtain that separated the waiting room from where Dr. Phillips checked his patients. Rose walked into the small space and Gem followed.

Rose took a seat on the medical table as Dr. Phillips got out a stethoscope. He listened to Rose's heartbeat, looked in her mouth, eyes and ears, and did a few other usual tests.

"Well, your heartbeat is normal and everything is fine with your eyes, ears, and mouth. Your reflexes are good as well; I don't see anything wrong." He said. "However, I do want to just feel you stomach to see that everything is normal, is that alright?"

"Yes, it's fine." Rose replied. The doctor put a hand gently on Rose's stomach, putting pressure on various places and nodding.

"Hmm…." He said, talking more to himself than to anyone else. "Yes, I see…"

Gem rolled her eyes jokingly at Rose, silently poking fun at the doctor's distant behavior. "Anything notable, Doctor?" she asked after a minute.

"No…"Dr. Phillips said quietly. "Everything is fine." He abruptly straightened up and adjusted his glasses. "I apologize for sounding so vague. A doctor will often slip into a sort of trance."

"That's alright, Doctor." Gem said.

"What should I do, Dr. Phillips?" asked Rose. "Is there anything I should look out for, or certain foods to avoid?"

"Yes. Try to avoid any strenuous activity from here on out, as the pregnancy progresses, and try not to eat food high in sodium and other ingredients like that." He said. Rose was still a little confused; he had not given her much information.

Then he smiled. "Gem will be able to give you any further details, I'm sure. Have no worries, Rose. From what I've observed today, I believe you are going to have a very healthy child."

Rose smiled, elated at the news. "Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that everything is alright."

She and Gem exited the office and stepped outside into the hot August sun. They strolled a ways down the street to where Gem had parked their cart. Gem hoisted herself up into the front seat, sliding over to take the reins. Rose was about to step into the cart when she felt something nudge the inside of her stomach and stopped in her tracks.

"What is it, Rose?" asked Gem.

Rose didn't answer. Had she imagined it? Then she felt another nudge, stronger this time. "Gem!" she shouted.

Gem scrambled down from the driver's seat, alarmed. "Rose, what's wrong?" she asked, shaken. Rose was so happy she could barely find words to describe what had just happened.

"My baby kicked! He—or she—just kicked me!" she said, laughing. Gem breathed a sigh of relief and a smile lit up her face.

"Good gracious Rose, I thought something was wrong!"

"I'm sorry Gem, I was just so surprised, and I didn't know what happened at first, and I felt another little nudge just now!"

Gem smiled. "Isn't it wonderful, knowing your little baby is in there?" she asked. Rose smiled again and shook her head in disbelief and wonder.

"It's amazing."

**Thoughts? Was there anything you loved? Hated? Please let me know! **


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13: Business as Usual

Gem and Rose drove in silence for a couple minutes before either of them said anything. Then, Rose said, "Gem? Did Dr. Phillips seem a little bit peculiar today, or am I imagining things?"

"No, he did seem a little preoccupied. Don't worry, Rose, he must just have a lot on his mind. You can never be sure of some of the things people have to deal with."

"I suppose you're right as usual, Gem." Rose smiled. "I do hope he is alright."

"Don't worry, young Rose. You have enough on your mind as it is." She said with a wink. Rose nodded and looked at the world around her. There were quite a few people out today; the weather was spectacular and everyone wanted to be outside enjoying it. Couples strolled by on an afternoon walk, and it seemed as if every outside table by a restaurant was full.

Rose sighed and breathed deeply, feeling the warm sun on her face, the slight breeze in her hair, and the smell of salty sea air and food cooking in nearby restaurant kitchens wafting around her nose. It really is beautiful today, she thought.

And it was. It was a gorgeous summer day, she and her baby were both healthy, and she was driving back to her home with her closest friend. The only thing that bothered her was the way Dr. Phillips had been acting. He was usually a very tactful, focused man, however, today he had seem absentminded and vague.

Rose lingered on the thought for only a second before brushing it away. It was a bright, beautiful day; she shouldn't be fretting over something as small as Dr. Phillips's mood. He just has a lot on his mind, what with keeping track of his patients and all, Rose convinced herself.

They arrived back at Biddy Milligan's to find that, like most of the other restaurants in town, their few outdoor tables were full. Quickly, they got down from that cart. Just as Gem was about to pull open the door, Aiden burst through it, carrying one tray and balancing another on his knee as he held the door with his elbow.

"Aiden!" Rose exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Yes, shouldn't you be at work?" Gem added.

Aiden puffed out his chest, looking a bit disgruntled. "It's nice to see you too."

"Sorry, dear," said Gem. "We just didn't expect you to be home."

He set the trays, which held glasses of lemonade, on the nearest table and wiped his brow. "Sam came to get Father and me as soon as a line started building at the restaurant, he said there were too many people for him to keep track of on his own. Father couldn't get away from work, but I came down to help out. It's hot out today, and everyone wants something to cool them down!" he said, gesturing to the lemonade. "I'm handing out drinks."

"Oh, good, we can always use some extra help!" Gem said. "Come on, Rose, let's get to work."

They went inside and Gem immediately got on her apron and found a pad of paper. "I'll take orders. Rose, how about you and Sam squeeze some more lemons? Aiden's tray is already half empty."

Rose headed over to where Sam was squeezing the juice out of lemons. "There's another one of these juicers in that cabinet," he said, gesturing to a small one under the counter. "Just do what I'm doing, and then put some of the juice in a glass. Add maybe two cups of water and some sugar and stir it until it's dissolved."

"Sounds easy enough." Rose said, reaching for a lemon.

"So, uh, how'd the visit with the doctor go?" Sam asked, not stopping making the lemonade.

"It was fine." Rose said, her hand automatically going to her stomach. "We had to wait until he was finished with a little boy first, but when he got to me he said that everything looked fine, and if I stay healthy and do what I'm supposed to do, I will have a very healthy baby."

"That's great! If you don't mind my asking, about how far along are you?" he asked hesitantly.

Rose though for a moment, calculating the months in her head. "It's been about 18 weeks, or approximately four and a half months. I'm starting to show."

"Yeah, it is showing a little bit. Did he tell you anything else?"

"No, but I felt the baby kick as Gem and I were going back to the cart. He or she is definitely in there." She said with a smile.

"Really? That must be very reassuring." Sam replied.

"Yes, it was. I was so happy, there's no way to describe it."

They worked quietly for a moment, then Sam said, "You said there was a boy at the doctor's office as well? Did you recognize him?"

"I don't know his name, but he looked about eight. Dr. Phillips called his mother Mrs. Davis. Do you know that family?"

Sam laughed. "Yeah. Eddie Davis. He's quite a little troublemaker, but he means well. Caused us a bit of trouble last year though."

"How so?"

"He was poking around in the pantry when Aiden had him over to play ball, and before we had time to tell him to be careful, he knocked over three bags of flour. Came out all covered, head to toe, he looked like a ghost."

Rose burst out in laughter. She didn't know why she found little Eddie Davis's flour mishap so amusing, but she couldn't stop giggling for the longest time. Just then, the door banged open, causing the bell on it to clang loudly. Startled Rose looked up to see Aiden hurrying in with the empty lemonade trays.

"Okay, I think everyone who wants lemonade has a glass, but they're starting to get hungry. Three orders of the steak, two just want some vegetables brought to their table, and there's an old man who's convinced we have caviar." Rose looked up at the word caviar and smiled, remembering Jack declining to take some caviar from the waiter when he joined her for dinner in first class. _Never did like it much_, he had said.

Sam jotted down the orders and said, "Okay…I put the steak on a while ago so it should be ready soon. Rose, could you cut up some vegetables and put them on a plate? And Aiden, please tell that man that we're not that fancy of a restaurant."

Rose began chopping up some peppers and carrots as Aiden went back outside to convince the man there was no caviar. No sooner had Aiden left then Gem bustled in with another sheet of orders. Putting the slip of paper on the counter, she said, "One for the steak, and two want our traditional salad."

"I'll get right on it." Said Rose.

Hours later, after all the eager customers were finished with their food, Rose, Sam, Gem and Aiden finally had a minute to rest.

"Well!" Gem said after a moment. "It has been a busy day, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it truly has," Rose said. She was feeling moderately lightheaded from the day's work, and remembered what Dr. Phillips had said about avoiding anything too strenuous. "Gem, would you mind if I went up to my room to lie down?"

"Oh, that's not a problem at all, dear!" Gesturing to herself and her two sons, she said, "I think the three of us will be able to handle it now that most of the people have gone. Go rest, Rose, and please let me know if you need anything."

Rose smiled. "Thank you, Gem, for everything today. I really don't know what I would do without your help."

When Rose reached her room, she closed the curtains to block out the sun, but left the window open a crack to let in a fresh breeze. She lay down on her bed and ran a hand along her stomach as usual. As she did so, her little baby kicked again, hard.

Rose smiled and whispered, "You're a feisty little one, aren't you?" Rose lay on her side and closed her eyes. Before falling asleep, she thought, "Oh, Jack, I wish you were here with me. Our little baby is already beautiful."

**Chapter 14 coming soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry it took so long to update! This chapter was so hard to write, and I literally redid it several times before writing something I liked. Anyway, I really hope you like it!**

CHAPTER 14: Dreaming

Rose dreamt of Jack that night.

_He appeared before her surrounded by light, not ghostlike but not exactly solid either. She ran to him, longing to throw herself into his arms and feel him caress her gently once again. She wanted nothing more than to feel the warmth of his touch on her skin, but a faint voice in the back of Rose's head warned her not to touch his outstretched hand. She somehow knew that if she did so, Jack would disappear._

_It was maddening, being so close to her lost love at last and being unable to hold his hand or embrace him as she did when he was still alive. She dropped her hand in despair and fought back tears. "Jack," she said, voice shaky. "Jack, is it you? Can you hear me?" Her voice echoed eerily in the space between them. He didn't respond, but the smile that suddenly spread over his face provided the answer Rose had been hoping for._

"_Oh, Jack! Jack—" Her voice broke and the tears began to fall._

_Jack's smile disappeared and was replaced with a look of concern for Rose. He stepped close to her and made to wipe a tear from her cheek. "Don't, Jack! If you touch me, you'll be gone again."_

_But Jack merely shook his head and tenderly brushed a tear from Rose's eye. His touch was like a warm breath of air, and it felt to Rose as if there was a warm breeze dancing across her cool skin. She suppressed a shiver and closed her eyes briefly and reopened them, expecting Jack to have vanished, but he was still before her, radiating light and love._

_He gently stroked Rose's hair, winding a loose curl around his forefinger, and once again it was as if a warm breeze had woven its way through her hair. Rose smiled back, and despite being unable to touch Jack, she felt completely contented. _

_She realized that as long as Jack touched her instead of her touching him, she would still be able to feel his comforting touch. He seemed to know this as well, and, keeping a hand on the small of Rose's back, they began walking to nowhere in particular. Though Rose longed to hear his voice, Jack seemed unable to speak, so Rose spoke instead._

_Jack listened attentively, nodding and smiling, even tossing his head back in the occasional silent laugh. His expression turned to one of sadness when Rose told him how much she missed him. "I need you, Jack. I love you more than anything, and living without you is nearly impossible."_

_At this, Jack leaned over and lightly kissed the tope of Rose's head, a gesture that caused her to tear up all over again. "I remember my promise to you, Jack, and I am doing my very best to keep it. It is just so incredibly hard to go on without you." She turned to face him, willing herself to stay strong for him and not cry. _

"_I love you," he mouthed. "You're gonna be okay."_

_Rose opened her mouth to reply, but then a sudden, blinding light flared in the corner of her eye, distracting her. Looking to Jack, she saw him smile lovingly one last time before the light obscured him from view._

"Wake up, dear!" She heard Gem say close by. Rose sat up groggily and saw Gem opening the curtains and let in the bright sunshine outside. Rose was puzzled for a moment. She has gone to bed in the late afternoon, why was sunlight streaming in? Then realization dawned on her.

"You slept straight through dinner and all through the night!" Gem chuckled. "I came in last night to rouse you when it was time to eat, but you were sound asleep. I didn't want to wake you."

"Thank you for letting me sleep, Gem." Rose replied.

"You are quite welcome. Now why don't you come and have some breakfast? You must be very hungry, seeing as you missed dinner."

"I'll come down as soon as I am dressed." Rose replied. Gem left the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Rose to dress.

She chose a light blue dress with a white sash around the middle and put it on.

"That's strange," She thought, pulling at the dress a little. "This dress fit me perfectly the last time I wore it." She looked at her reflection in the mirror from the side and her heart skipped a beat. There was a small but noticeable bump on her stomach; her pregnancy was clearly showing now.

For the first time, Rose felt afraid. What was going to happen when it came time for her to have her baby? She stared at her reflection for a few more seconds before Gem called her to breakfast. She walked downstairs and was greeted by the delicious smell of pancakes and fresh strawberries. She paused for a moment as a small feeling of nausea came over her before recovering and sitting down; she was not going to miss this meal!

She ate as much as she felt she could without becoming too full. Gem had been right; Rose hadn't noticed how hungry she was until a pile of pancakes on a plate was set before her.

Feeling much better after her filling breakfast, Rose excused herself and went outside, standing in the warm sun that beat down on her from above. She relived her dream, relived those moments with Jack, longing for the days they had spent together on the Titanic. She knew that she should be trying harder to move on, but to completely push aside her longing for him she felt would be an insult to his memory.

She stood, lost in thought, until Sam came out to join her. "Good morning, Rose."

She looked over her shoulder, not having noticed him until now, and managed a smile. "Good morning."

"You seem distant. You're far away, aren't you?" he asked.

"I have a lot on my mind." She replied. She cared about Sam, and loved his company, but at the moment, what she really needed was time alone to sort out all of the thoughts running through her head. "Sam, do you think you could let me be by myself, at least for a little while?" She wasn't trying to be rude, and Sam clearly didn't take her question personally.

"Of course, Rose." He kissed her cheek quickly and went back into the pub, leaving Rose to mull over her thoughts. Being Sunday, few people were out and about. Most were either at church services or enjoying a work-free day. Even Peter was home, reading a book in his study upstairs.

Rose began walking, gazing around her at the buildings and shops. She squinted at the Statue of Liberty; its torch was framed in golden sunlight, giving the impression that it really was alight with fire. Rose was so caught up in the beauty of the first image of America she had seen while coming into the harbor on the Carpathia that she never heard nor saw the cart barreling down the road, the horses pulling it out of control and the driver unable to turn.

**Chapter 15 will be up as soon as possible!**


	15. Chapter 15

**I am SO sorry I haven't updated for so long! I've been incredibly busy, and though I wrote two more chapters right away, I didn't have time to type them up. Anyway, to make up for not updating for so long, here's two more chapters, 15 and 16. See if you can find the movie references I made…there's a lot! **

CHAPTER 15: The Accident

Rose couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She knew that she had only a few short seconds before the cart would be upon her, yet she was unable to move. It was as if she was rooted to the ground; her feet would not budge.

She stood, frozen, and time seemed to slow down. She saw the confusion and terror in the eyes of the spooked horses. She saw their nostrils flare in desperation, heard their panicked snorts. The driver's face was stricken with panic as he frantically attempted to turn his cart and avoid a collision.

"Move, Rose, move!" She thought. But it was too late. The cart was barely a second away when she felt a sharp pain in her side as something barreled into her, knocking her far off-balance. Tripping over the hem of her dress, Rose tripped on the curb and fell.

She felt her head crack against the sidewalk and warm blood began to flow down the side of her face. She turned over her shoulder, terrified of what she might see.

The last thing she witnessed before everything went dark was the cart hitting Aiden.

…..

How long she was unconscious Rose did not know. The last thing she remembered was hearing a horse's scared whinny and the cart flying by her, missing her body by inches. The next thing she knew, she was lying in her bed back at Biddy Milligan's with a bandage on her left temple.

Rose tried to sit up, only to experience a horrible, throbbing pain in her head that made her vision blur and go dark around the edges. It was as if her head was a nail, a nail being pounded over and over by a giant's hammer. The pain was so intense that for a moment Rose thought she might vomit.

Carefully lowering her head back onto the pillow, Rose tried to recall what had occurred. She knew that she had been strolling along the street when she stopped and gazed at the Statue of Liberty, awed by its beauty and oblivious to the world around her. She remembered the cart, barreling towards her. Somebody had pushed her out of the way, saving her life. But who?

Then she remembered. Aiden.

She had seen him try and jump out of the cart's path as it came plowing down the street, but one of the horses had tossed its head and clipped him hard on the shoulder, knocking him down. The cart had bounced over him as he tried to roll out of the way.

Tears rolled down Rose's cheeks and stung her face where it had been scraped on the ground when she fell. Someone came in and placed a cool cloth gently on Rose's forehead, and she was vaguely aware of the bed sheets being tucked around her. She neither knew nor cared who had entered the room. Rose woke up a few hours – or a few days – later. She had completely lost track of things; she didn't know what time it was, let alone what day. She had been slipping in and out of consciousness, sometimes seeing a blurred figure moving about the room before slipping away again. She occasionally caught snippets of conversation as people talked near her bed.

"Bad fall."

"Concussion."

Rose cautiously lifted her head and found that the throbbing had ebbed some. She still felt dizzy, and nearly fell over as she tried to stand. Closing her eyes and orienting herself, she used furniture to slowly and carefully make her way towards the door, taking tiny steps.

Once in the hallway, she met Gem, who had a waterfall of tears cascading down her cheeks. "Rose!" She choked out. "W-what are you d-doing? You must – I mean, you've g-got to lie down."

Rose had never seen Gem like this; she was utterly distraught. "Aiden," Rose whispered. "I have to see Aiden."

Rose composed herself before stepping into Aiden's room. Trembling, she stumbled towards the bed. Peter was standing at the foot of it, his face blank with shock. Sam was slumped in an armchair, his head in his hands, looking defeated. Neither of them even acknowledged Rose as she entered the room. Her eyes found Aiden, who was lying, unmoving and unresponsive, in his bed.

His entire right arm was encased from shoulder to fingertips in a splint, and he had a white gauze bandage around his head. Rose saw that it covered a gash, a gash that ran right over his left eyebrow. Rose was shocked by his injuries; he looked as if he had been in a fight with a wild bear. Bruises covered his body in addition to his more severe injuries.

Rose staggered over to his bedside, knees wobbly and weak. "Aiden?" she said, voice barely above a whisper. "Aiden, it's Rose. Please wake up. Can you hear me?"

"He won't respond. We've tried everything." Sam said dully from his chair. "We don't know if he's going to—" He abruptly stopped talking and dropped his head again.

No. No. This is all a dream, Rose thought. This cannot have happened, not to Aiden. Rose squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to awake from this nightmare, this nightmare that was all her fault. But when she opened them, the same grave, heartbreaking scene was still playing out.

Gem came in, and with a sob, took Rose by the arm and led her back to her bedroom. "You have to sleep, Rose. You h-hit your head, you c-can't be walking yet."

Rose allowed Gem to lead her away, and lay down in bed again. So many thoughts were racing through her head, which ached enough already. Aiden and his injuries. Was he going to recover? Rose decided she was going to see him as soon as everyone else was in bed. She had to at least tell him how sorry she was, even if he couldn't hear her.

Gem gave Rose some tea to drink. "It will help you calm down, dear. You have to promise me that you'll sleep now."

Rose nodded, hating to see Gem this way. She was usually so strong and confident, but now all of that was gone, replaced by grief and uncertainty.

Though Rose tried to fight off sleep so that she could see Aiden, she felt her eyelids become heavy until she could no longer keep them open.

"Why? Why would anyone let this happen?" Rose thought as Gem left. She couldn't bear to see the Calverts so saddened and worried. Rose was feeling the same way, and although she couldn't possibly imagine the pain that would come from seeing your son lying unconscious and wounded, Rose knew what it was to lose someone you loved.

Losing Jack had caused Rose enough pain to last a lifetime. Now, she doubted she would ever forgive herself for letting Aiden get hurt. She buried her face in her pillow, wanting to scream. All of the pent-up emotion inside of her was bursting to break free, with no way to do it. She turned to face the wall and put her hand on her stomach, mind racing. Though Dr. Phillips had assured Rose earlier that day when he came to take care of her and Aiden's wounds that the baby was unharmed, Rose was still being more cautious than ever. She was scared. Scared for Aiden, scared for the Calverts, and scared of the heavy weight of helplessness that she felt holding her down.


	16. Chapter 16

**Like I said, I'm updating two new chapters today to apologizing for keeping you waiting for so long. Here's chapter 16! Again, if you find any of the movie references I made, feel free to point them out in a review!**

CHAPTER 16: RECOVERY

Rose opened her eyes and rubbed sleep out of them. She judged from the darkness outside her window that she had slept through the day. She lifted her head; the throbbing was close to gone, however, it still felt as if her head weighed one hundred pounds.

She glanced around the room, and saw Sam seated in the same chair Dr. Phillips had sat in earlier as he assessed her wounds. He lifted her head as she sat up and took her cold hand in his own warm one.

"Rose," he whispered, voice thick from holding back tears. "Rose, Rose! Thank God you're alright."

"Sam, I'm fine, I'm fine. You shouldn't worry. Aiden is in a much more critical state than I am."

"I know. I sat in his room until I knew he was alive, and then came to see you again. I came in the day you and Aiden were brought back here, but you weren't conscious."

"I'm going to be okay now." Rose replied. Sam squeezed her hand.

"He's hurt badly, Rose. He opened his eyes, and I could tell he recognized us, but he hasn't moved except to drink water."

"Sam, I am so sorry. This is all my fault; if only I had looked up sooner, and seen the cart, I—"

"Don't you do that. Don't you blame yourself for a single moment."

Rose saw that Sam had tears running down his face and her heart broke all over again. In a quavering voice, he said, "He's just a k-kid. He doesn't deserve this, nobody deserves this!" He started sobbing, unable to speak anymore. Despite his telling Rose she wasn't at fault, she still felt responsible. Aiden was Sam's only brother, his only sibling.

"Sam, he's going to recover. He's already opened his eyes and seen you, he's recovering already."

"I hope you're right. I can't lose him, Rose. I just—I don't know what I'm going to do if he—"

Rose took his hand and held it tight, trying to comfort him. Eventually, the tears slowed and his stood up from the chair. "Get some sleep, Sam." Rose advised. "You haven't rested in days."

He nodded and left the room without another word.

Two days later, though she was still having trouble balancing, Rose tentatively tiptoed into Aiden's room after the rest of the family had gone off to bed. Sam was once again in sitting in the corner, but he was fast asleep, his head propped up on his arm.

Rose carefully sat on the edge of Aiden's bed, taking care not to jar his splinted arm. She took in his pale face; a thin layer of cold sweat made him look ghostly in the moonlight. Rose gently smoothed some strands of hair away from his skin.

He shivered at her touch and opened his eyes, taking a moment to focus on her face. His eyes widened, and he said hoarsely, "R-Rose? Rose!" He tried to sit up, but Rose gently pushed him back down.

"Shh, shh, you'll wake the others. How are you feeling?"

"Like horseshit." He answered truthfully. Rose felt a mixture of guilt and happiness. She felt awful about what had happened, but she was relieved that Aiden could still make her smile as he always did.

"I'm so sorry, Aiden."

"Don't be. You would have either been killed by the cart, or we both would have been injured but alive. I'm glad you picked choice number two," he said with a feeble attempt at a smile.

Rose smiled, but she got the feeling it came off as more of a grimace. "I still feel horrible."

"Rose, I'm going to be fine. I look bad now, but in a few days, I swear I'll be on my feet again, and then I can start working."

Rose almost laughed, happy that he had energy and willpower to keep fighting. "I can't bear to see you hurt, Aiden," she said, gesturing to his arm and cut. "I only received a scratch in comparison."

"Rose, stop worrying. This isn't the worst of it." He looked away, smile fading. "I can take the injuries; it's seeing Sam and my parents in so much emotional pain that hurts the most."

He paused for a moment before saying, "Sam and I, we had a sister." Rose looked up in shock, wondering if she had heard him right. "Her name was Anna, and she was the sweetest girl in the world. She was the kind of girl who would go out to pick flowers even in the rain, so the restaurant would have more color, and she would always be the first one to volunteer to do something."

"What happened?" asked Rose, hoping she wasn't being offensive in asking.

"Three years ago, during the winter, she fell ill. What started as a small cold turned into pneumonia within a week, and she…she passed away that January. She was only seven. We were devastated, my mother especially. She would spend most of the time crying, trying to cope. Seeing her like this, now, I hate knowing that I'm worrying her so much."

Rose was shocked; she had had no idea about Anna Calvert; no one had even said a word about her. "Aiden, I had no idea." Rose said in a hushed voice.

"It's alright. Losing her was horrible at first, but we've moved on. It still hurts, but I know that if she were here, she would tell us to keep our heads up." He sighed and seemed to sink down into the bed. "Thank you for coming in here, Rose. It means a lot."

"I had to make you sure you weren't—"

"Dead?" He finished matter-of-factly. "Rose, I'm ashamed of you."

Rose looked up at him, irked. "Excuse me?"

"I cannot believe that you thought I would let something as silly as a runaway cart kill me." She saw that he was smirking and relaxed, smiling back at him. She ruffled his hair, making it stand up in little spikes all over his head.

"My mistake." She laughed.

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Here's Chapter 17! Hope you like it, please R&R!**

CHAPTER 17: Love Never Dies

Aiden's words held true; he was out of bed and walking again within the month. Despite his protests, Gem refused to send him back to work. "You can go back to work when you can write again." She said, referring to his mummified right arm. He eventually acquiesced to this, and settled for doing small chores around the restaurant.

The heavy mood that had infected Biddy Milligan's over the past weeks lifted on the day Aiden finally asked for something to eat. He hadn't eaten more than a few slices of bread since the accident, and the fact that he suddenly had an appetite again took a huge weight off of everyone's shoulders.

Aiden was able to return to work mid-September, and Rose was relieved to see that he still had the same disposition as he had before the accident. Rose had recovered as well; her head rarely pained her, and most of her cuts had healed.

It had now been six months since she had stepped off the Carpathia, meaning that she was now two thirds of the way through her pregnancy. Only a couple of her nightgowns still fit her, so Gem lent her some of her old things.

"These should fit you just fine," She said, indicating some clothes hanging in a closet.

"Thank you so much, Gem. I cannot even tell you how much I appreciate all you've done. I feel like I'm imposing, taking all of these." Rose said, gesturing towards the dresses and blouses.

"It isn't a problem at all, dear! My goodness, you are too polite, Rose. Don't fret for a moment. Remember, I've been through what you're going to as well." Gem chuckled. Rose laughed as well then winced at another kick in her abdomen from the baby.

Rose's heart skipped a beat as she realized there were only a short three months before her baby was due. She did not know whether it would be a boy or a girl, but she knew that regardless of gender, her baby would be absolutely beautiful.

Sam appeared in the doorway just as Gem said, "I also have some baby clothes left. Sam and Aiden both wore this one outfit that was designed to look like a pinstriped business suit. They had the pudgiest, most adorable little cheeks! "

"Is it really necessary to tell Rose that, Mother?" He said, slightly embarrassed.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, dear." She said, smiling mischievously. "Every baby is chubby."

Sam rolled his eyes and Rose laughed. Then he gently asked, "Mother, what if…what if the baby is a girl?"

Gem stopped and straightened up, putting on a brave face. "I kept Anna's clothes as well. We can always use those. Rose, Anna was our daughter. She—she passed."

"I know."

"You do?" Gem and Sam said in unison.

"I—Yes. Aiden told me."

Gem wiped her brow. "Oh. I see. Well, now you know." Rose nodded, feeling out-of-place.

Sam broke the silence. "I'm on my way to run a couple of errands. We're running low on flour and we could use some more coffee."

Gem smiled, her old self returning. "I'm glad you're keeping track of things, dear. I wasn't aware. Why don't you buy some more apples as well?" She handed him some money from her pocket and he left.

"I think you've given me enough clothes, Gem. These are perfect."

"You're always welcome, Rose." Rose thanked her again and left the room. She carried the pile of clothes into her room and dropped them on the bed. She took a couple articles over to the dresser and pulled out one of the drawers. She folded a thick, cotton sweater that Gem had given her and moved a stack of blouses aside in the drawer to make room for it.

As she did so, she saw a pair of rumpled, bunched up stockings in the back corner of the drawer. It was wrapped around something, and Rose, curious reached for it. It was heavy. Rose unfolded the fabric that held the object and nearly dropped it when she saw what was inside. It was the Heart of the Ocean; Rose had completely forgotten about putting it in the drawer. She had completely forgotten about it altogether.

She stared, heart pounding, at the sapphire diamond as it glistened and sent sparkles of blue light flying across the walls. She carefully placed it around her neck, feeling its weight. The chain was encrusted with smaller diamonds as well, and Rose stared in awe, remembering the last time she had worn it.

That moment had been wonderful; she and Jack had been together. They had had no idea then that everything would soon change. "Don't think about it." She instructed herself. She was sick of sadness; dwelling on the past was not going to cure her.

She finished putting the blouses in the drawers and hanging the dresses in her closet. She slid the hangers along the bar in the closet to make room for a white summer dress, and her heart skipped a beat once again as she noticed her pale blue, pink, and white dress. It was the only one that was actually hers; she had been wearing it the night the Titanic sank. Rose ran her fingers along the silky fabric and could almost feel the warmth of Jack's touch in the folds. It looked the same as it had the last time Rose saw it. "I've changed a bit." Rose thought, patting her stomach lightly. Jack had touched this dress, while Rose had been wearing it and while he had taken it off of her. She had to keep it, had to hold onto him.

"Never let go," Jack had said. "Never let go." She knew at that moment, no matter what the future may hold, that she never would.


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated for so long! I've been involved in the musical at my school and it only just finished, so I'll have more time to write now that there aren't any more rehearsals or shows. Here's chapter 18; hope you like it!**

CHAPTER 18: Thanksgiving

Rose looked up at the few trees along the busy road and marveled at their leaves, which had changed from the bright green hues of summer to the stunning fiery orange and yellow shades of autumn, and now to the brown color of approaching winter. It was one of those days where the sun was warm and the air cool, so Rose had donned a white cardigan to keep out the chill.

A gust of wind sent leaves spiraling away on a journey, and as they twisted through the air and fell around Rose, she closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp, distinct smells around her; Gem was baking pies inside, and the leaves had an earthy aroma that Rose simply adored. Everywhere the streets were full of people bearing extra layers as the sun grew weaker and the days shorter.

It was only hours until the Thanksgiving dinner that had been so carefully planned by Gem. There would be a turkey, of course, and everything from stuffing to homemade pumpkin pie would be served. Rose could not wait; every Thanksgiving that she had experienced in the past had been acknowledged by nothing more than the usual caviar, bitter wine, and mindless chatter that she could never escape from.

"Rose, the pie's ready!" Aiden called from inside Biddy Milligan's. Rose smiled as the warm scent of pumpkin and cinnamon wafted through the door and filled Rose's nostrils. She went inside to see it, and gasped at the sight that awaited her.

Several tables had been pushed together, and benches lined either side. Tablecloths had been placed on the table and plates put out; the setting was complete with a miniature cornucopia and candles as a centerpiece. Gem bustled over with a handful of forks and handed them to Rose. "If you would just put one of these by each plate, dear, that would be very helpful."

"Of course!" Rose obliged. "The table is beautifully set."

"Yes, we're expecting some relatives will stop by to join us." Gem replied with a smile.

Aiden appeared at Rose's side with an apple and said, "They say they're only going to stay a moment, but you'd be surprised how long that can be!"

Just as Aiden predicted, several aunts, uncles, and cousins had arrived within the next few hours, filling every seat at the huge table. As she watched the younger children running around, the adults laughing, and a man who Rose had been told was Gem's great-uncle playing the violin, she couldn't help but be reminded of all the friends she had made on board the Titanic. Tommy, Fabrizio…Rose knew that they would have loved this. She could almost see them laughing as they had when Jack had forced Rose to dance with him. She was so happy he had done so; it had been the most fun she'd ever had in her life.

Rose shook her head and tried to focus on the moment she was living, not the past.

After everyone had eaten their fill of turkey and pie, Peter stood up from his seat and cleared his throat. "I would like to thank each and every one of you for making this the best Thanksgiving I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing."

"He says that every year." Sam whispered to Rose. They shared a quick laugh before Gem softly cleared her throat to quiet them.

"I would also like to officially introduce you all to Miss Rose Dawson." Peter continued. "She has been living with us these past months, and is practically a part of our family now. Rose?" He said, clearly prompting her to say something.

She waved meekly and said honestly, "I—I don't know what to say. I am forever grateful that Peter, Gem, Sam and Aiden have taken me into their home as they have. I really don't know where I would be if they hadn't."

Gem smiled. "Thank you, Rose. We're glad to have you here."

It was past midnight before everyone left, and Rose was asleep on her feet. She dragged herself up to bed and lay down without even undressing. She was nearly eight months pregnant now; her baby was due in less than two months. The thought of being a mother made Rose both incredibly joyful and extremely nervous at the same time. She knew she was lucky to have Gem's help, but she was still especially scared of when it would come time to have her baby.

She patted her huge stomach, thinking about what was to come. Would it be a boy or a girl? She tried to think of names in her head, but it was impossible to choose one without seeing her child first.

Before Rose knew it, she was fast asleep. She didn't recall much of anything from her dreams, but the one detail she did remember was the same feeling of warmth that she had felt when she dreamt of Jack so many months ago. It filled her heart with happiness, and the memory caused it to swell even in sleep.

She woke up the next morning to a flurry of snow outside her window, the first snow of the season. She ran to her window like a young girl and threw it open. A blast of icy air blew in, bringing with it a puff of snow off the windowsill.

Rose breathed in the pure air and looked down at the powdery world below her window. Small children were already filling the sidewalks, laughing as they scooped up as much snow as they could into their tiny hands and throwing it at one another. It was not long before Aiden joined them, and Rose smiled. It was fascinating to her how something as simple as snow could bring so much happiness to the lives of children, and vowed that she would never deny her soon-to-be-born child that kind of pure joy.


	19. Chapter 19

**Again, so sorry it took so long to update. I'm getting close to finishing, so I've been putting more and more thought into each chapter. Here's 19!**

CHAPTER 19: Time

December went by in a flurry of snow; before Rose knew it, it was nearly the New Year. Christmas had been nothing short of magical; the tree adorned with silver bells and an angel on top had been like nothing Rose had ever seen. On Christmas Eve, the snowflakes danced through the air like tiny ice fairies, blanketing the city once more. Rose had stepped outside when the snow began to fall, and Sam followed her.

The sounds of people singing Christmas carols in the church nearby and the candles in every window created a beautiful, wonderful setting, one that Rose had never experienced before. Sam had leaned down and kissed her then, an unexpected gesture that Rose returned after a moment's surprise. It was nothing like being with Jack, but Rose still enjoyed it.

They had visited Dr. Phillips two weeks prior to Christmas, and Rose was not surprised to hear that the baby would likely be born within a matter of weeks; it had been eight and a half months. On the night that the year 1912 turned into 1913, Rose was choked up. Perhaps it was the fact that the turning of a new year made it seem as if the Titanic was officially gone, lost to history, leaving only the stories of the survivors. Maybe it was the happiness that made her heart swell as she looked around at the Calverts, who had been with her since that very first day, or a combination of the two. Whatever the cause, it had Rose wiping tears from her eyes that night.

As the days passed and Rose finally got used to writing "1913" instead of "1912," she was beginning to get more and more anxious. According to the calculations she had done in her head, it had been just short of nine months since she and Jack had made love on the Titanic. The baby was due any day now, and Rose could feel her heart beating, thumping wildly in her chest.

Gem came up to her one morning as she was taking inventory and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. "It's almost time." She said. Rose did not have to ask what she was talking about.

"I know." Rose replied, voice shaky. "Gem, I'm scared." It was the first time Rose had admitted her fear out loud. She met Gem's eyes, which were warm and inviting as always. Gem took her arm and led her over to a bench, sitting down and motioning for Rose to join her.

"I am not at all surprised, Rose. Childbirth is one of the most terrifying and one of the most wonderful experiences a woman can have. It's very trying, but you will be alright, Rose."

Rose looked into Gem's motherly eyes again, feeling slightly reassured. "Please, promise to stay with me." Rose whispered. "When it happens."

Gem smiled and squeezed Rose's hand. "I promise."

Rose stood up with a sigh, as did Gem. "Thank you, Gem." Rose said.

"You're always welcome."

Rose made to walk back to the counter when Gem stopped her. "Rose, why don't you rest? Aiden can finish taking inventory."

Rose smiled weakly, thankful, and sat down in a chair.

"Aiden!" Gem called. He appeared at the top of the stairs in moments.

"Yes, mother?"

"Please finish taking inventory; Rose is feeling a bit tired."

He came down and took her spot, counting silverware and glasses to make sure nothing was missing. "It's almost time, isn't it?" he asked Rose conversationally.

"Yes." She said, smiling. "He or she will be here quite soon, I'm guessing." She patted her stomach as her baby kicked once more. She shook her head in wonder and shock and she thought of what was to come.

_I am going to be a mother_, Rose thought. The words sounded quite normal separately, but when strung together to form that sentence, it sounded almost like a foreign language. Rose Dawson, a mother? She smiled. _Yes, a mother. I am going to be a mother. _Rose said the words over and over in her head until they sounded familiar.

The date was now January 17, 1913. As Rose got out of bed, she had a strange feeling in her chest, like her heart was beating faster and more erratically than usual. She cautiously stood up and made her way downstairs for breakfast. She took in every detail: the sizzling of breakfast cooking, Gem humming as she bustled around the kitchen, Aiden and Sam coming down the creaky stairs, laughing at a joke one of them had told.

Rose took one step forward and stopped in her tracks. Her breath caught in her throat; she could barely breathe. Everything slowed down as Rose tried to process what was happening. "Rose?" Gem called from across the room. She hurried over. "Rose, what's the matter?"

"The baby's coming." She choked out.

**I'll have Chapter 20 up as soon as I can. After Ch. 20, there will only be one or two more chapters (three at the most) before the story is over. **


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20: New Life

Gem grabbed Rose's arm and hurried her outside. "Peter!" she yelled. "Peter, we have to get to Dr. Phillips!"

Peter came running out the door, closely followed by Sam and Aiden. They jumped into the cart and Peter began driving as fast as he could without causing damage to Rose and Gem, who were in the back. Gem was frantically telling Rose something, something Rose couldn't hear. Everything was a blur, and when the cart stopped in front of the doctor's office, her head was spinning.

Sam leaped out of the cart and raced inside to get Dr. Phillips. He came out and together he and Gem half led, half carried Rose inside to a back room that Rose hadn't even known was there.

"Put her down here." Dr. Phillips commanded, and Rose was laid on what seemed to be some type of bed. "Rose, can you hear me?" he asked.

Rose tried to ignore the labor pains she was having and managed to respond. "Yes, yes, I hear you!"

"Good. Listen to me, Rose. I've given you medicine that will help to decrease any pain you are feeling. Now, when I tell you to, you have to push as hard as you can, understand?"

Rose stifled a scream as the pain became worse. "I understand!" She said with difficulty. Gem took her hand.

"I'll be right here, Rose, I promise. I won't let go of your hand. The boys are in the waiting room, and they won't leave either. We're all here for you. You're going to be okay, Rose."

Rose nodded, but for the first time, she found it hard to believe Gem.

For the next three hours, it was Dr. Phillips shouting, Gem telling her it would be alright, and her heart pounding as she tried to give birth. It seemed endless, that is, until she felt Gem's grip on her hand loosen.

Rose opened her eyes, which had been clenched shut. A cry reached her ears, and her heart skipped a beat.

Dr. Phillips was smiling, and Gem had tears in her eyes. "Rose, oh, Rose!" She couldn't seem to stop saying those words. Once again Rose heard a distinct baby's cry, and she struggled to sit up. Gem put pillows behind her as Rose shakily became aware of her surroundings once more. Dr. Phillips came to her side, carrying in his arms a small bundle from which little cries and the occasional gurgle were coming. With the utmost caution, he lowered the baby into Rose's arms and smiled.

"She's beautiful, Rose." He said.

"She?" Rose whispered.

"Yes." Dr. Phillips confirmed. "You've given birth to a very healthy baby girl."

Rose's vision was clouded by the sudden rush of tears that sprung to her eyes, and she carefully wiped them away, making sure not to jostle her baby. I have a daughter, she thought in disbelief. She looked down at the tiny human swaddled in cloth and was overcome by emotion.

Gem, too, was wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh, Rose, isn't she precious?"

Rose swallowed and replied, "She's absolutely perfect." Then to her little girl, she said softly, "Hi there, sweetheart."

The baby cooed softly. "Mama's here. Mama's here." Rose said, smiling through her tears.

"What's her name, Rose?" asked Gem softly, stroking the baby's tiny hand with her thumb.

Rose thought for a moment before answering. She had considered names for boys and girls for hours on end, but of all the possible names she had run through in her head these past few months, none fit her little girl now that she could look at her. She was not Abigail, or Marie, or Jenny or Sarah. Neither was she Jacqueline or Cora.

"Elle." Rose replied. "Elle Dawson." The name fit perfectly.

Rose looked at Elle in awe, amazed that she and Jack had together given life to this new person. Already, Rose saw a striking resemblance between Elle and her father. She had stunning sea-green eyes that, though wet with tears, sparkled with a sort of freedom, and a tiny tuft of light-colored hair was visible on her smooth baby head.

"Rose?" Gem asked. "Would it be alright if I invited the boys in?"

"Yes, of course!" Rose was extremely tired, but she did not want to keep Peter, Sam and Aiden waiting any longer.

Gem went out to fetch them from the waiting room. "Come in, boys. Come meet Rose's daughter." Aiden was the first to come into the room; he rushed over to the bedside.

"What's her name, Rose?" He asked, his eyes wide as he looked at Elle.

"This is Elle." She replied. "Would you like to hold her?"

Aiden nodded and Rose cautiously transferred Elle into his arms. He cradled her gently, and she promptly grabbed his forefinger in her tiny hand, staring at it in wonder. Rose laughed at Aiden's expression; he was half surprised and half elated.

"She likes me!" He exclaimed.

Sam came over with his hands in his pockets, smiling. He didn't say anything, but Rose could almost read his thoughts as she met his deep brown eyes; she could tell he was relieved beyond belief that everything had gone well.

Everyone left within the hour except for Gem, who insisted on spending the night in the waiting room to make sure Rose was alright in the morning, Dr. Phillips allowed Rose some time alone with Elle. As Rose held her daughter close, she couldn't help shedding tears of sadness. It was so wrong, so unfair that Jack had not lived to see his only daughter being born; he would never hold her in his arms or rock her to sleep, or dry her tears when she cried.

Rose knew that somewhere, Jack was watching, and she knew that he would see little Elle grow from where he was. She only wished he could have lived to see her in person.

"Jack," Rose whispered as Elle fell asleep in her arms, "I wish you could see her. She looks just like you, Jack; you gave her your eyes, and your hair. Someday, I'll tell her everything. I'll tell her how we met, and how each and every day I thank the Lord above that you were there to catch me when I slipped. You jump, I jump, right? I know that you'll be alongside me every day, and I know that no matter where you are, you will stand by me, by Elle, forever. I love you, Jack Dawson. One day, the three of us will be together. As a family."

She looked down at Elle, who looked nothing short of angelic as she lay sleeping. She took a deep, shaky breath and said, "Don't worry, Elle. I won't ever, ever let go."


	21. Chapter 21

**Here it is, the final chapter! I put a ton of thought into this, especially the last sentence. I really hope you enjoy it. Also, I love all the reviews I'm getting! Please R&R, it makes me extremely happy!**

CHAPTER 21: Starting Anew

Rose took little Elle back home to Biddy Milligan's two days later. She was a curious little baby; her sea-green eyes sparkled, wide with wonder as Rose walked her around, showing her every room and telling her all about the things there. Peter had been working on building a crib for Elle, which was put in Rose's room against the wall.

Rose spent each and every night rocking Elle to sleep in Gem's old rocking chair, quietly singing to her. "Come Josephine, in my flying machine," She would softly sing as Elle sleepily reached for a loose lock of Rose's hair or a button on her dress. "Going up she goes, up she goes." She would sing to Elle until the little girl slipped into dreamland, comforted by her mother's arms caressing her, her breathing steady and calm.

One night, after Elle had fallen asleep, Sam came into the room. He smiled when he saw Rose in the rocking chair, slowly rocking back and forth with her daughter in her arms. "She's sleeping," Rose whispered to him.

"Don't worry, I'll be quiet." Sam replied as he came over and crouched down next to the chair. "Goodnight, Elle," he said, lightly touching her tiny left foot, which was sticking out from under the blanket Rose had wrapped her in. "Goodnight, Rose." He stood up and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Try to get some sleep."

Rose smiled, and promised him she would do her best. Elle was typically quiet for a few hours after she had been tucked in, but there were several occasions on which she had awoken Rose (and usually everybody else who was trying to sleep) with her cries. Though Rose was quite tired from getting up over and over again, she found it impossible to be cross with her daughter.

Elle's first few months of life flew by; Rose did not know where the time had gone. On April 15, 1913, Rose took her to a small memorial in the center of the city, which had been constructed in memory of the sinking of the Titanic. Every year she visited it with Elle. At first, dozens of flower bouquets and wreaths from various families adorned the memorial, but as time went on, fewer and fewer people paid their respects to those who had lost their lives that fateful night.

When Elle learned to walk, she soon made it clear to Rose that keeping track of her would always be an adventure. By the age of two, Rose had already had to chase her around the house countless times, as she would slip off whenever Rose turned her back, even if only for a second.

Rose still sat with Elle in Gem's rocking chair even after she was old enough to speak, telling her bedtime stories while Elle listened intently, her beautiful eyes sparkling with joy. Rose told of everything from mythological creatures to an elf that loved to skip, but Elle's favorite story was the only one Rose did not have to make up. Elle loved to hear about the Ship of Dreams, and how it was full of beauty and happiness.

"No, Mama, ship!" Elle would say when Rose began a fairy tale.

"Sweetie, I've told you that one a hundred times," Rose would answer each time, secretly happy that she would be able to retell the story.

"Again, again!" Elle would command, bouncing on Rose's knee.

"Alright, darling." Rose would reply before beginning the story once more. "There once was a ship, the grandest ship anyone had ever seen." She would begin, stroking Elle's beautiful golden-blonde hair. "It was enormous!" She and Elle would exclaim at the same time. "Walking on its decks and exploring its hundreds of rooms was like touring a palace…" She never gave details, only general descriptions, nor did she tell of the fate the ship had met a mere three years ago. Simple though the story was, Elle hung on her every word, laughing and giggling, lost in the world of the Ship of Dreams.

Someday, when Elle was old enough, Rose would tell her the entire story of the Titanic. Someday, Elle would know who her father was, and she would know why she had never met him, never heard him laugh, or saw him smile.

It was now February of 1916, and Elle had just turned three. As Rose helped Elle into her pajamas, a small flicker of light caught her daughter's eye outside the window, and Elle dashed over and opened the window. Rose followed, wondering what she could be looking at. Elle pointed a pudgy finger towards the starry night sky, and mother and daughter watched as a shooting star dove across the canvas of the night.

"Look Mama, an angel!" Elle said, watching the streak of light.

Rose, lost in the memory of seeing a falling star when she was walking on the deck with Jack, was teary-eyed at her daughter's words. She followed the star's path along the dark sky and let the cold February air lift her hair slightly as it washed through the window.

"Make a wish, sweetie." She whispered to Elle. Elle screwed her eyes shut and made a face as she concentrated on her wish, a face that made Rose laugh inside.

After she reopened her eyes, Rose picked Elle up and laid her in her crib after the little girl reopened her eyes. "Goodnight, Elle." She said, lightly kissing her soft forehead. "I will love you forever and always, no matter what."

Elle yawned, her eyelids drooping, and said softly in reply, "Love you, Mama." Rose smiled, and kissed Elle's forehead, tucking her favorite blanket snug around her daughter and placing her favorite stuffed bear under it. Elle closed her eyes as her mother tucked her in and fell asleep within the minute, the moonlight washing across her body.

Rose returned to the window, gazing up at the starry night sky. It was almost as clear as it had been on the night she and Jack had met; each star glittered like a piece of shattered diamond in the sky above. Rose leaned her head against the window frame, shivering in the cold but in no hurry to close the window. As another falling star shimmered down to earth, she could feel Jack standing next to her again. She knew then that no matter where he was, Jack Dawson, her husband and Elle's father, would find a way to be with his family.

"Balance yourself, like a bird on a beam…" Rose half whispered, half sang. She smiled as she recalled how she and Jack would sing the song together, often forgetting the lyrics and erupting in laughter. "In the air she goes…there she goes." She pulled her arms tighter around her, turning around to see her daughter smiling in her sleep, and hoped the little girl's dreams were as bright and sunny as her personality.

Raising Elle on her own would be a challenge, but Rose was not afraid. She had Gem, the mother she never had, the most loving and most caring woman anyone would ever meet, and she had Peter, Aiden and Sam, who would be there every step of the way.

Most importantly, she had Jack Dawson, her one true love, who had made her life count.

**The End! I'm so sad that this story is over! Please R&R…what did you think of the story as a whole? Anything I could do better? I'm open to requests as well, if you have anything you want me to possibly write in the future. Oh! Be sure to read my Author's Note, or you're going to miss something very important (Just click Next)!**


	22. Author's Note!

**To all my readers!**

First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you. If it weren't for you guys and all your support, I never would have finished this story. I am so thankful for all the great feedback and constructive criticism; it's really motivated me to keep writing!

_**To Nat:**_ My first reviewer, thank you so much for all the reviews, especially early on!

_**To Cailyn:**_ I'm so happy at least one of my "real-life" friends is reading this! Thank you for giving my writing a chance, I love you! : )

_**To Cassandra Buckley: **_Thanks for the (long!) review, it helped a lot!

_**To Cayla:**_ Again, I'm glad some of my girls at home are reading! You've been so great, supporting this story ever since the very beginning (for those of you who don't know, this girl is the genius who gave me the idea to write this!). 3

_**To BlondieeLeah:**_ Thank you SO MUCH for the feedback and reviews! You are an amazing writer, I love your stories and I'm so glad you love mine as well…keep it up fellow writer! :D

_**To DobbyTheElf:**_ Your feedback is some of the best I've gotten, I love hearing from you, and thank you so much for helping me come up with ideas for the story when I got stuck! You're awesome!

To everyone else, I thank you just as much. All your support is, like I said, the reason I write fanfiction. I really hope you liked my story; I know I love to write it! Thank you a million times for everything, guys!

And one last thing (you're going to want to read this)!

I can't just leave this story here, can I? I'm writing a** SEQUEL**, which I promise will be out soon! It will follow Elle Dawson, but Rose and the Calverts will still be present in it, along with some great new characters! Stay tuned, or subscribe (if you have an account) so you know when the first chapter is out!

**Keep reading; keep writing…I love you guys! **

**-Caitlin, aka AmazingWingedGirl :D**


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